The “one day tour” would be pointless as you would spend the whole day just getting there and back but if in a rush would at least allow you to see the countryside and learn a little about the surrounding area.

The two typical tours that can be found at any of the numerous tour agencies in Arequipa are the 2-day tour starting at around 7.30am and the 3-day tours starting at around 6am. They are both quite different.

The 2 day trip ends up in the town of Chivay on the first day after a few stops to take photos of llamas and the general scenery on the way there. At Chivay you will visit the local thermal pools “La Calera” where you can soak in the outdoor hot pool and enjoy a nice cold beer in the evening. An early start on the second day entails a journey to the Cruz del Condor to be amazed by Condors (hopefully) soaring gracefully above your head on the rising air currents. On the way you may stop off at the Maca village for a colourful performance of local dancing in the Main Square by local students. After watching and probably photographing the condors, you make the journey back to Arequipa stopping for lunch at Chivay on the way. This tour costs between US$18 and US$35 (depending on the agency).

The 3 day tour takes you deeper into the canyon where you normally hike down to stay at one of the local villages on the first night. The second day involves hiking to other villages at the bottom of the canyon. Different tours stop for the night in different places ranging from a village at the bottom of the canyon entailing a 2am hike up the canyon or staying at the hot spring half way up the canyon for a 5am hike to catch the bus to Cruz del Condor or staying at the top of the canyon at Huambo where you get up at 6am. It is defiantly best to make it all the way to the top on the second day not only because you get some what of a sleep-in, but also you get spectacular views of the canyon which you do not get to see at 2am – 5am. The third day includes a stop at Cruz del Condor and the journey back to Arequipa. This tour costs between US$30 and US$50 (depending on the agency).

When visiting Cruz del Condor (and not rushed on a tour) it is worth hanging around till it warms up a little after 9am; the Condors become a lot more active around this time since its when they hunt.

The street stalls selling maize and chicken feet are not as bad as you think. It is a great little appetizer (cheap too) with a difference, though the chicken feet are slim pickings.

In the surroundings of the Main Square of Chivay there is a variety of restaurants of typical foods of the area, as well as eaten arequipeña, you can choose where he would like to eat.

Pictures of life in two-mile deep Colca Canyon, Peru, where giant condors fly and locals live as their ancestors did centuries ago.

La Casa De Mama Yacchi Colca Canyon: Colca Canyon, Peru Reviews & Experiences:
“We arrive at our hotel, La Casa De Mama Yacchi, run by the same owners as Casa de mi Abuela” … “Stopped at a great hotel overnight, a bit like a traditional mountain lodge” … “all got a little excited so stayed till closing time which we think didn´t go down too”.

Casa Andina Chivay: Huayna Capac s/n Chivay, Chivay, Colca Canyon, Peru
Reviews & Experiences:
“Puno has about 100,000 people, kind of a resort town” … “tipa cez 10 minut ne bo, nas bodo odpeljali v hotel in nam vrnili denar, saj so se blokade na cestah”.

Pozo del Cielo Chivay:
Pasaje Apurimac 113 Vallecito, Chivay, Colca Canyon, Peru
Reviews & Experiences:
“to Chivay, where we were to stay at the Hotel Pozo del Cielo, just out of the town centre”
More details and reviews.

Hotel Kunturwassi Colca Cabanaconde: Cruz Blanca 195 – 197, Cabanaconde, Colca Canyon, Peru
Reviews & Experiences:
“After a pretty good brekkie at our hostel, we were collected by our tour guide Jaime on what”.

Tradicion Colca Colca Canyon: Calle Argentina 108 Urb Fecia, Colca Canyon, Peru.

Inkari Eco Lodge Chivay: Calle Espinal S/n, Valle Del Colca Chivay, Colca Canyon, Peru

Hotel El Refugio Colca Canyon: Putuco, Colca Canyon, Peru

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.

Most had spiritual importance for the inhabitants of the area. Coropuna, at 6,613m, is the third-highest mountain in Peru.

And Ampato, at 6,310m, is where the remains of the Inca mummy Juanita were discovered.

Mismi, at 5,597m, is accepted as the true source of the Amazon River.

In an expedition to the area by Jacques Cousteau in the 1980s, an engraving of a toucan was found in a cave, indicating that the inhabitants knew of the links between this area and the Amazon basin.

Climbing guides can be found in Arequipa or in Cabanaconde.

Some of these are quite easy, although obviously the scope for more challenging riding is high.

Mountain bikes can be hired from the agencies that are located in the Plaza de Armas in Chivay.

The agencies also organize guided half-day tours around Chivay.

Initially, the expedition tried to leave from Cabanaconde, but the difficulty of the rapids and rocks damaged their kayaks and inflatable boats.

Since then, a number of further rafting expeditions have been carried out, but given the extreme difficulty of the river, and the impossibility of rescue in case of accidents, these are still rare.

The river is extremely dangerous, and experienced canoeists have lost their lives attempting to navigate it.

Therefore, rafting on the lower part of the river should only be attempted by the experienced and as part of a well-organised group.

However, it is possible to raft on the upper part of the river, in the Plaza de Armas of Chivay there are agencies that organize 1½-hour trips, reaching about class III, which are suitable for beginners.

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.