Watch condors ride the thermals at the stunning Colca Canyon gorge near Arequipa.
The incredible gorge of the Colca canyon 100 kilometres long is said to reach a maximum depth of 3,400m. Colca is said to be the deepest in the world and twice as deep as the grand canyon.
Cave paintings suggest that people have lived here since the first humans arrived in the Andes and the characteristic terraces of the Colca valley rival those of the Incas and the terraces are still widely used.
Day 1
Transfer from your hotel in Arequipa and the journey to the canyon begins. It’s a long but scenically spectacular drive to la Cruz del Cóndor and from there to the start of the trail at Pampas de San Miguel.
The walk starts, taking you deep into the canyon, passing Tapay until we reach our camp at San Juan de Chuccho.
Day 2
Today we visit the ancient village of Tapay and a series of small villages dedicated to agriculture, the growing of fruit and the collection "cochinilla". Camp at Sangalle, a small oasis.
Day 3
Today we climb the side of the canyon to the small town of Cabanaconde; a sleepy village at 3,287m, where the road ends on the edge of the canyon. You’ll find its friendly inhabitants dressed in beautiful hand-embroidered clothing.
We visit condor viewpoints at Colca Canyon and any interesting sites you would like to stop at on our return to Arequipa, Peru.
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