Tour to Colca canyon in Arequipa (2D/1N)

DESCRIPTION:

On this tour of the Colca Canyon, at 07:30 a.m. Our local guide will pick you up from your hotel in Arequipa. Afterwards we will board to the bus and will drive northwest following a paved road towards the “Colca Canyon”. Before leaving Arequipa, we will stop at a small shop where you can purchase some chocolates, candies and coca leaves.

Continuing our journey, we will stop in Pampas Cañahuas 3500 meter above sea level, located a “National Reserve of Salinas an Aguada Blanca”, where you will see some Vicuñas y Alpacas. Unlike the Alpacas, Vicuñas are wild animals, which running freely on the high plateaus, in this national park, our local guide will provide information about these shy Andean camels.

Then we continue our journey to the Colca Canyon, little further up we will stop again at the little restaurant of Viscachani, where you can enjoy a stunning scenery of the Andes and also drink a typical coca tea. Afterwards we will continue ascending a dirt road still we reach the highest point of our trip, “The Viewpoint of the Andes (4,800 m /15,748 Ft).

At the highest top, we will get off the bus some minutes to observe the landscape, having in the background the volcanoes Ubinas, Mismi, Misti, Chachani, Sabancaya (active) and Ampato. We will drive downhill to the main village of the Colca Canyon, the Village of Chivay 3600 meter above sea level. Arriving to the town, we will have lunch in one typical Andean restaurant, after lunch our clients will be transferred to your hostel in Chivay. By the afternoon we will go to swim and relax to the Hot Springs of the Colca Valley (35° C / 95º F), a nice pool outdoors surrounded by huge mountains. After sunset, we will return to our Chivay where we will enjoy a good diner in some restaurant in the town. Overnight at the hotel in Chivay.

After breakfast, at 06:30 a.m. We will be driving towards the “Cruz del Condor”, a natural Viewpoint, where you can see the flight of the Condors and we will have the best view of the Colca Valley, we drive along the edge of the Canyon, seeing on route ancient terraces still in use by the local farmers, who grow mainly varieties of corn and potatoes.

We will make some stops for take photographs, and our local guide will give us a good insight into the Colca Canyon history. Here you will stumble upon a great rock, where ancient architectures carved the terraces, testing (perhaps) which parts of the Canyon were suitable for cultivation.

This is a good place also to see the “Colca River” and hanging pre-Inca tombs. After 2 hours approx. We will reach Cruz del Condor, (1 hour 30 min of visit), observing the beautiful flight of the Condors as well as the depth of the Canyon. Then, we will return to the village of Chivay, passing typical towns along the way. At around 12:00 p.m., we will stop at a local restaurant at the town of Chivay for lunch and afterwards will return to Arequipa. We will be back in Arequipa around 05:00 p.m. arrival to the city and transfer to your hotel in Arequipa.

NOTA: After your tour in the Colca Canyon, and If you have a plan to visit Puno, you can take the Bus from Chivay to Puno with Stop, and avoiding the long travel to Arequipa and Arequipa – Puno.