A trip to the Colca Gorge and the Colca Valley, a highlight of any trip around the world, as it is one of the deepest canyons in the world and the best place to see the giant Andean condors ascending into the sky. Arequipa, also known as the “white city”, is made up of charming colonial houses built of white volcanic stones, surrounded by volcanoes and snow-capped mountain peaks of the western Andes. In the town founded in 1540, there are countless museums and mansions. The most important sight is the almost 20,000 square meter convent “Santa Catalina”, a small town in the city of Arequipa, with many fountains and cobblestone streets.
This two-day trip will be remembered forever.
Today we visit one of the world’s deepest canyons. After picking you up at your hotel in Arequipa at 8am, we drive towards Chivay, passing through the snow-capped Chachani Mountain and then making a short stop in the “Aguada Blanca National Reserve”. We drink a coca tea, which helps you at the enormous heights and take the opportunity to observe the inhabitants of the park. We see Vicuñas, the wild relatives and ancestor of the now more domestic alpacas. Vicuñas produce small amounts of extremely fine wool, which is very expensive as it can only be cut every 3 years. We also see many alpacas, llamas and waris. Later on Lake Tocra, we see many birds, sometimes even flamingos. We pass the extinct crater of the volcano Chucura and stop at a vantage point at 4,800 m altitude to capture the surrounding volcanoes, possibly with a nice panoramic view. From here you also have a wonderful view of the western mountain range, with their Anbaerrassen (Andenerias), which are mainly from the pre-Inca period. Lunch is in Chivay, the entrance to the Colca Valley. Then we drive to the beautiful village of Coproaque, the starting point for a 2-hour hike to admire the wonderful landscapes on this side of the Colca Valley. Here you can also see a pre-Inca cemetery, where the tombs are embedded in the mountainside. After our return in Chivay, in the late afternoon, you have the opportunity to visit the thermal baths of Chivay. A pleasant and above all relaxing experience. At 8 pm we have dinner, followed by an Andean folklore show. Get ready for Andean dances.
After breakfast, we drive to the viewpoint “Cruz el Condor” in the nature reserve of the Colca Canyon. From here you can best admire the Condor’s flight, sometimes you float less than 2 meters past one. An impressive and at the same time unforgettable experience. Afterwards we walk a bit through this unique landscape, again a good opportunity to take photos. At about 1 pm we have lunch and drive back to Arequipa. Here we pass several typical villages in the Colca Valley, u.a. we visit the Franciscan Church in Yanque. The Spaniards had after the conquest of Peru, Yanque to the capital of the Collaguas province determined and built there a large Franciscan monastery to convert the indigenous people and ultimately to baptize. The Franciscans instructed the Incas in the Catholic doctrine and social customs of the Spaniards. This should discourage the indigenous people to continue to worship their ancestors, mountains and spirits of nature.
The last photo stop is in Antahuilque, with very old agricultural terraces and mountain tombs before we return to Arequipa at 5.30pm. Of course you will be taken to your hotel there.
