COLCA VALLEY
151 km / 94 miles north of Arequipa (3 hours by car)
The extreme northeastern section of the department of Arequipa is located here. The highest point is the inactive volcano Mount Ampato (6288 masl), and the lowest at the confluence of the rivers Colca and Andamayo (970 masl). The Colca valley is 100 km in length and occupies only part of the Colca river basin, comprising the districts of Callalli and Huambo.
There are sixteen villages in this zone made up of descendents of the Collaguas and Cabanas tribes, inheritors of rich cultural traditions. The towns of Chivay and Cabanaconde are the most visited by tourists.
In the latter, you can watch condors soar from the Cruz de Condor (Condor Crossing) Lookout. The Colca valley forms part of the South American tectonic plate and contains the active volcano Sabancaya, located on the volcanic mountain Hualca Hualca. This valley possesses a great diversity of flora and fauna. Among the most representative species are the condor, the kestrel, the peregrine falcon, and the Andean tinamou.
COLCA CANYON
42 km / 26 miles west of the town of Chivay the capital of the province of Caylloma(1 hour by car)
This is one of the deepest places on the planet, reaching a depth of 3400 meters / 11.155 feet at the lowest point in the location of Canco. On the right side, it is flanked by the Chila Cordillera (Bomboya, Serpregrina, Mismi, Queshihua) and on the other by Mount Hualca Hualca, Sabancaya, and Ampato. You can see Mount Ubinas and beautiful Mount Coropuna in the distance.
Colca Canyon, composed of 13 Andean towns, was formerly populated by the Collaguas and the Cabanas. The inhabitants of the area still conserve their old traditions and cultivate the pre-Inca terraces. It is the perfect place for practicing adventure sports, as well as seeing the majestic flight of the condor. The Colca impresses with its eye-catching terraces, its steaming volcanoes, magnificent condors, sleepy Andean towns, the deep canyon and the river that runs through it, towards the Pacific. Colca Canyon is located 42 kilometres from Chivay, the capital of the province of Caylloma. This colourful village is usually the starting point for many tourists who wish to visit the various attractions in the area, including the Cruz del Condor (Cross of the Condor) which is 60 miles away and an excellent vantage point to observe the flight of the world's largest bird.
