These are generally two days, and include some of the attractions on the route to Chivay, the thermal baths in Chivay, the Cruz del Condor and visits to some of the towns. This is a very good way of seeing the main attractions in the canyon, although obviously does not allow any scope for exploration.

Almost every agency in Arequipa organises two – day tours, charging around $20 – $25 per person, including basic transport, accommodation and entrance to the Cruz del Condor. It is possible to vary certain items.

If you want to stay in better accommodation, price rises accordingly. It is also possible to go on a private tour.

The big advantage of a private tour is that you can decide exactly where to go and how long to spend at each place. It is also possible to go on a one-day tour, although few agencies now offer this, as it is too far to go in one day. The one – day tour does not allow you to see the condors.

The Collaguas were an industrious and prosperous people, and the terraces throughout the canyon indicate their agricultural and architectural skills.

When the Spanish occupied the valley in 1540, Viceroy Toledo ordered that the population, which had been dispersed throughout the valley, be gathered into fourteen villages, which survive today. This made it easier to control and tax the inhabitants.

He Incas conquered the Colca region in the middle of the 15th century, and one of Inca Mayta Capac’s generals married the ñusta Mama Yacchi. He established his base in Coporaque, where he built a copper palace. However, this was destroyed by Gonzalo Pizarro in 1548 to make harness parts for the Spanish cavalry.

The rest of the copper was used to cast the bells for the village church, which still exist.

The Colca Canyon runs for over 100km, and the average distance from the peaks of the mountains to the river below is 3,400m.

Until recently, it was thought that it was the deepest canyon in the world, although it is now generally accepted that the Cotahuasi Canyon, also in the department of Arequipa, is deeper. The depth of the canyon from the Cruz del Condor to the river is approximately 1,500m.

The deepest point of the canyon is beyond Cabanaconde, close to the Valley of the Volcanoes.

In addition to the canyon, the area is one of the most volcanically active in Peru, and Sabancay, which erupted in the 1980s, can usually be seem smoking, as can Ubinas.

The Colca Canyon was largely inaccessible until the 1970s, when a road from Arequipa was built as part of the Majes irrigation project, which diverts water from the Colca River to the agricultural area of Majes.

In fact, the valley was largely forgotten throughout the Republican period, and the inhabitants lived in almost total isolation. The villages, which have changed little since Toledo’s decree, are now in regular contact with the rest of Peru, and the area is visited by many thousands of tourists every year.

As part of the Volcanic Mountain Range of the Occidental Andes, spectacular vistas are formed by the volcanoes, some of which are still active including Hualca Hualca, Ampato and Sabancaya which looms in the background.

A fertile region, the canyon is dotted with traditional villages where farming still takes place on the pre-Inca and Inca agricultural terraces.

Reached after a journey through rugged landscape dominated by volcanoes and seemingly only home to llama and vicuna, it is simply paradise.

When the Spanish came, they established several towns in the area, but they did not last and have been lost to time. It wasn’t until the 1980’s, when the river was harnessed for hydroelectric power, were usable roads built in the region. Even so, the drive from Arequipa to Chivay—about 50 miles as the condor flies—is a four-hour trip, minimum.

The Colca Canyon remains a very traditional area: you’ll be sure to see modern-day Collagua and Cabana men and women, who still speak their traditional language and wear the same sort of clothes their cultures have worn for centuries.