Colca Canyon

COLCA CANYON, VOLCANO VALLEY, COTAHUASI – MAJES VALLEY

7 days and 6 nights

Day 01: Arequipa - Chivay

We leave Arequipa very early in the morning, the route to be taken depends on the tour chosen.

a) On the off road tour we will pass in between the volcanoes Misti and Chachani; then through the natural reservation Salinas Aguada Blanca; continuing through Pampa Cañahuas; the Colca window, which is the beginning of the Colca Canyon; through villages like callalli, Sibayo,Tuti, Canocota; we will go into Chivay through the Inca’s Bridge, in Chivay we’ll have lunch and later , in the afternoon we will traverse some villages on the right side of the canyon like Coporaque, Ichupampa, where we’ll be able to see the majestic churches. At night we will be able to enjoy the canyon’s thermal baths.

b) On the on road tour we will take the asphalt road to Yura, going through part of the natural reservation Salinas Aguada Blanca, the vicuñas homeplace, Vizcachani, arriving in Chivay, we will have lunch and in the afternoon we will go though some villages on the right side of the canyon: Coporaque, Ichupampa, where we’ll be able to see the majestic churches. At night we will be able to enjoy the canyon’s thermal baths.

Day 02: Cruz del Condor visit, left side of the canyon

Day 02: Cruz del Condor visit, left side of the canyon

We will get up very early so we can appreciate the flight of the condor, from the sighting place Cruz del Condor, located at 42 km from Chivay, on the left side of the canyon, then we will continue onto Cabanaconde and Tapay. On our way back, we will go through the villages Pinchollo, Maca, Achoma, Yanque, where there are also majestic churches.

Day 03: Chivay – Volcano Valley

Day 03: Chivay – Volcano Valley

We will leave very early on our way to Caylloma, we will go through high altitude roads, through the village of Orcopampa and Andagua, Due to the lack of hotels in the zone, this day we will camp in the Volcano Valley. (* in basic hotel).

Located at 3,587 m.o.s.l., the Volcano Valley was the centre of deafening convulsions of the volcanic chain of mountains, from which have formed around 86 small volcanoes (no longer active), that seem like blisters emerged from lava degasification or as a product of direct eruptions from the magma. To enter Andagua’s Volcano Valley is to go back several geological eras, observing some surprising phenomena that occur solely in two places in the world; the Canary Islands and this valley from Arequipa. The Andagua river valley is located at the base of the Coropuna Volcano, the highest one in the country and the tenth peak in South America.

Day 04: Volcano Valley – Cotahuasi

Day 04: Volcano Valley – Cotahuasi

We will leave the Volcano Valle and we will pass very near the Coropuna mountain, the highest snow-covered mountain in Peru. We will continue towards the Arma River and we will arrive at an impressive vantage point en the high side of the Cotahuasi Canyon , from which we will have a panoramic sight of thr town of Cotahuasi, in the afternoon we will continue through the canyon passing through Tomepampa, until we reach Alca.

Day 05: Tour through the Cotahuasi Canyon

Day 05: Tour through the Cotahuasi Canyon

This day we will get to know the natural wonders of this zone, we will visit Huaynacotas and Puyca. In Puyca, for those who would like some trekking, we can visit the Icma Lagoon or the Maukallakta Ruins.

Day 06: Cotahuasi – Majes Valley

Day 06: Cotahuasi – Majes Valley

We will begin the trip back to Arequipa in two stages; the first one going through the base of the Coropuna Mountain and through the town of Chuquibamba, down to the Majes Valley, in this valley we will be able to try the famous Peruvian pisco.

Day 07: Majes Valley – Arequipa