"Full day" 15 hours. Mornings: 2:30 am
The Colca Canyon is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Arequipa region of Peru. It is an impressive natural canyon located in the Peruvian Andes, with a depth of over 3,000 meters, making it one of the deepest canyons in the world.
The day trip to the Colca Canyon from Arequipa usually starts early in the morning, with a pick-up at the hotel. The bus ride lasts approximately 3 hours, during which you will enjoy breathtaking views of the Andean landscapes and nature surrounding the region.
Once you arrive at the Colca Canyon, you will visit the main viewpoints such as the Mirador de la Cruz del Condor, where you can observe these impressive birds in full flight, and you can also enjoy the view of the canyon and the river that runs through it. During the tour you can also see traditional villages such as Yanque and Chivay, where you can learn a little more about the local culture.
The tour can also include a visit to the hot springs of La Calera, where you can enjoy a relaxing bath in the natural pools.
Finally, the excursion returns to Arequipa in the afternoon, leaving visitors with the impressive experience of having seen one of the most impressive canyons in the world in a single day.
Pick up from the hotel at 02:00 AM, We leave Arequipa driving for 3 and a half hours towards Chivay; the capital of the Colca Canyon on North West direction behind snow-covered Chachani. Breakfast. Then we continue driving for 2 more hrs towards the most visited point "the Cross of the Condor" here we are able to see the depth of the canyon and the flight of the Condor.
The area presents beautiful tipical towns, like Yanque & Maca, colonial churches, gently people with tipical needlework dresses, hundreds of pre inca terraces still in use with andean growings like corn, quinua, kiwicha among others.
After Lunch we come back to Arequipa; on the way we stop at the highest pass: the view point of the Volcanoes and snow covered mountains in Patapampa (4,800 m. - 15,000 ft.). Later we will see wild vicuñas, alpacas & llamas in Pampa Cañahuas national reserve, some birds like flamingoes, ibis, andean gooze, ducks, andean eagle "Kara Kara". (18:00 hrs. approx. Back in Arequipa).
One of the stops of our Colca Canyon day tour is the small town of Chivay. It is beautiful how the local ladies here are dressed. Their outfits are very elaborate & their fancy hats are unique to their people. We´ll have lunch at a restaurant. After lunch, time to explore the town & marketplace
Yanque and the famous Church of the Immaculate Conception of Yanque, beautiful example of baroque style, which was built in 1690. It covers the most beautiful temples of the Colca Valley. Maca a village in the Colca route which is 3262 m A major source of income for this village is agriculture, such as planting potatoes, corn, alfalfa and barley and its appeal is its beautiful pre-Inca terraces.
The canyon is home to the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus), a species that has been the focus of worldwide conservation efforts. The condors can be seen at close range as they fly past the canyon walls, and are a popular attraction. 'Cruz del Condor' is a popular tourist stop to view the condors. At this point the canyon floor is 3,960 feet (1,200 m) below the rim of the canyon.
Other notable bird species present in the Colca include the Giant Colibri, the largest member of the hummingbird family, as well as the Andean Goose, Chilean Flamingo, and Mountain Caracara. Animals include vizcacha, a rabbit-sized relative of the chinchilla, zorrino, deer, fox, and vicuna, the wild ancestor of the alpaca.
It is a vast area comprising the high Andean area of the province of Arequipa, and covers the districts of Arequipa, Cayma, Yanahuara Chihuata and San Juan de Tarucani, is located behind Chachani and Misti volcanoes. It covers an area of 314.447 hectares, Cañahuas The fauna is extremely valuable. The most valuable specimen is the vicuna (Lama vicugna), the Peruvian camelid so graceful and beautiful, producer of the world's finest wool, and therefore, as pursued by hunters predators that unless strong measures are taken to protect this animal becomes extinct. Fortunately they are getting great achievements.
Transfer back to Hotel
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