The Colca Canyon is considered to be the deepest canyon in the world - with over 1km separating the canyon floor from the cliff-edges. It has picturesque pre-Inca terracing, impressive scenery and friendly villages with traditionally dressed locals. One of the highlights of a trip to Colca is the chance to see the mighty Andean Condor soaring on thermals above the canyon. Given good weather and an early start it is very likely you will get to see the magnificent birds in action!
We depart Arequipa at around 4am in order to arrive in Chivay around 7am - this early start is necessary to give us the best chance of seeing the Condors later in the morning. In Chivay we have a continental breakfast before departing by bus for the "Cruz Del Condor". At this lookout point you can enjoy stunning views of Colca Canyon and hopefully see the impressive Andean condors soaring above the void. After our fill of the Condors we descend into the Canyon, visiting a couple of pretty villages along the way. We have lunch in the village of Tapay, where we also relax for the afternoon, have dinner and spend the night.
An early breakfast and departure from Tapay at 6am. This morning we head to a beautiful Oasis in the Sangate Valley. On the way we visit the villages of Cosñirhua and Malata and learn a little about the flora and fauna of this unique natural zone. At the oasis we have lunch, bathe in the swimming pool, have dinner and stay the night.
An even earlier breakfast to allow departure from Sangate at around 4am. We climb to Cabanaconde village and return to our starting point from there by the same path. We have lunch in Chivay before commencing our journey back to Arequipa. We stop on the way at the Andes View point - the highest point in the region at 4,910m before arriving in Arequipa at around 5pm.