The Colca Valley is a colorful andean valley with many small towns founded during the Spanish colonial times. It is still inhabited by people of the Collaguas and the Cabanas cultures who maintain the ancestral traditions and continue to cultivate the pre-Inca stepped terraces.
The name Colca refers to small granaries of mud and stone, built into the cliffs of the valley and the canyon. These repositories were used during the Inca and pre-Inca times to store food such as potatoes, quinoa and other andean crops. They were also used as tombs for important people.
Day 1 | Arequipa – Colca CanyonWe will depart at 7:30 am from Arequipa, driving 160 km to the town of Chivay, capital of the Province of Caylloma. At the beginning of our excursion we will enjoy the majestic views of the Misti, Chachani and PichuPichu volcanoes After lunch your guide will invite you to a short walk through Coporaque and its surroundings (this walk takes around 1 hour and is optional). We’ll come back to our transportation and visit a natural “hot springs” where we will enjoy a relaxing bath. (Entrance fee and personal towels to the baths are not included). After this exciting day we will bring you to your hotel or lodge. |
Day 2 | Hike into the Canyon – San Juan de ChucchoWe will have our breakfast very early in the morning and leave to the famous “Cruz del Condor” point. As soon as we arrive to the Cruz del Condor viewpoint, the group will split and you will continue with our transportation and driver to the town of Cabanaconde where you will meet your trek guide and start your 2 days hike into the canyon. We will at first head down a steep way all the way to the Oasis in Sangalle. There we shall have a lunch break, rest a bit and get some energy for the rest of the day. This route is a beautiful hike down to the canyon wall, with the growing feeling of being truly inside the Colca canyon. From the Oasis we will then hike up to the other side of the Colca, only halfway up, to catch the road to Malata and Tapay. After walking along the immense Colca Wall we will go down again walking through villages and fields to finally arrive to San Juan de Chuccho. There we shall get a well-deserved night of rest after a nice dinner. Overnight. |
Day 3 | Walking up to Cabanaconde – Chivay TownThe next morning, we should leave at 4:00 am, after having a nutritious breakfast to start the ascent of a steep route that’ll lead us out of the Canyon. This hike will look harder than it is but is still not to be underestimated as it’s perhaps less steep than the way down on the day before, but slightly longer. If we are lucky and considering that it is very early, maybe we can see some condors. We will arrive around 8:30 to 9:00 am in San Miguel, just outside of Cabanaconde town where we will meet our driver and transport and then join again the Colca classic tour group. On the way back to Chivay we’re going to visit the traditional village of Pinchollo and the “Antahuilque viewpoint”, where 1500 year-old terraces can be observed. We also will make a stop at the look-out point of “Choquetico” with its hanging tombs “Tumbas colgantes“, and take a look to the litomaqueta, a model of the canyon terraces carved in a rock. We will continue visiting Maca, an Andean community that experienced an earthquake in November of 1991 and the village of Yanque with the most beautiful church in the valley. Lunch in Chivay town (Cost of Lunch is not included in program) and return to Arequipa city around 4:00 pm. |
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Price per person: US$ 300
Price is based on two people.
Single person pays +US$ 40 per night.
Children under 12 years get a discount of 20% on the Tour (whilst booking with Hotel Mamayacchi).
Upgrade your Hotel:
(double room, the addition of price per night is based on 2 persons)
Hotel Pozo del Cielo: +US$ 25 per person.
Hotel Casa Andina: +US$ 30 per person.
Hotel Colca Lodge: +US$ 90 per person.
Exclusive international transaction fees: The amount of the extra transaction fees depends on how the payment is made and on your bank. For further information please don’t hesitate to ask.
With each booked tour with Green Peru Adventures, you will receive a free walking tour of the mysterious and historic city of Cusco. You will be guided by one of our multilingual, professional guides.