The Colca Canyon region is a land of extremes. Snow-covered mountain peaks stretch 20,000 feet above sea level, with furrowed mountain slopes turning into terraced agricultural fields before plunging down a staggering 10,470 feet to the canyon floor far below.
On the precipice of this canyon, the second deepest in the world, visitors ponder the magnificence of nature while swooping condors dazzle with displays of air acrobatics. This is where tours of the Colca Canyon typically accumulate, Cruz del Condor. Although there are numerous outlooks along the main road that winds with the canyons ride, this one is renowned for its resident family of condors.
The Andean condor is one of the largest flying birds in the world, and despite its massive wingspan of 10 feet, it still requires a bit of flying assistance, which is where the canyon comes in. The thermal updrafts wafting through the gorge carry the condors along, requiring relatively Little flying effort from the hefty birds. Kind of like air surfing.
Although the Cruz del Condor is the destination, the journey is truly part of the attraction when visiting the Colca Canyon. As you venture through the valley, you will pass through Andean villages largely unchanged by modern times. Locals live a rural existence, colorful and layered traditional farming and home life. Women wear colorful and layered traditional outfits as they go about their daily tasks, and many are happy to pose for a photo if asked and appreciate a tip. The vibrant village life is always framed by a backdrop of verdant terraced agricultural fields, many of which have been farmed since pre-Incan times. Separating Arequipa from the Colca Canyon is the National Reserve of Salina and Aguada Blanca, a windswept Highland prairie surrounded by towering volcanoes and mountains. The reserve stretches over 367,000 hectares and is a refuge for numerous Andean animals, such as the vicuña, a wild relative of the llama considered the symbol of Peru, and the vizcacha, a fuzzy creature that looks like a mix between a rabbit and a chinchilla, and the Andean flamingo, one of the rarest flamingos in the world. The Colca Canyon is usually connected with a visit to the colonial city of Arequipa or the Highland Lake Titicaca. If you want to add this tour, do not hesitate to contact our travel expert.
We will pick you up at 8.00 a.m. at your Hotel. Then we will start our journey to the deepest canyon and the biggest flying bird in the world. Taking the Yura Road, bordering the Nevado Chachani towards Pampa Cañahuas Aguada Blanca and Salinas National Reserve, habitat of the beautiful South American camelids, the vicuñas. In the wetlands of Tocra, we will be able to appreciate a variety of migratory birds, among which are flamingos. We will pass through the crater of fan extinct volcano Chucura. We will stop at the viewpoint of the volcanoes, which is also the highest point of the drive, at 4900mtrs. From where you will appreciate a large part of the western mountain range plus the active and inactive volcanoes, then we will descend to Colca village where we will have our lunch, after lunch, we will go to your Hotel. In the afternoon, visiting the Hot springs of Calera is an optional activity. In the evening you can join us for dinner where they have a folkloric dance show from the area.
After breakfast, we will leave our hotel at 6.00 a.m. Then drive for 2 hours to the CRUZ DEL CONDOR viewpoint, a strategic observatory of the canyon, and the spectacular flight of the Condor. On the back, we will stop in the towns of Pichollo, Maca, and Yanque, which have beautiful colonial churches, as well as the viewpoint of Choquetico and Antahuilque, from where we will observe the impressive terraces of the Colca valley. After enjoying our stops, we will drive for four hours back to Arequipa.
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