Colca Canyon and Andean Culture - 3 Days

It’s another early start today, because there’s so much great stuff to see! First, we’ll head to the lookout point known as Cruz del Cóndor ( Condor Cross), near the small villages of Maca and Cabanaconde. Here, strong winds rise up from the canyon, providing a favorite spot for Andean condors. They soar on the thermals, often in pairs, normally in the early morning and late afternoon. There’s a good chance you’ll see these huge condors, with their three-meter wingspans, flying very close to the lookout point, providing a truly majestic sight. From the lookout point you’ll also have incredible views down into the depths of Colca Canyon.  

We’ll then head back to Chivay, first stopping off at the traditional village of Pinchollo and the Antahuilque viewpoint. This viewpoint (or mirador, as they are known in Spanish) offers wonderful views of the 1,500-year-old agricultural terraces that curve along the hillsides like an amphitheater. You can also spot some of the enchanting lagoons of the Colca Valley. 

Next is the lookout point of Choquetico, where we can see two very interesting features. First are the hanging tombs, or tumbas colgantes, built by the Aymara-speaking Collaguas around 1200 AD. These funerary niches were cut into the cliffs of Cerro Cabanaconde and then sealed off with rock walls. In order to reach these otherwise inaccessible cliff faces, the builders likely worked their way down using ropes suspended from trees up above. The second interesting feature we can see here is the litomaqueta, a model of the canyon terraces carved into a rock. 

Moving on, we’ll visit the small Andean village of Maca, which sits on the lower slopes of Sabancaya Volcano and Nevado Hualca Hualca. Then we’ll pay a visit to the village of Yanque, which is home to a pretty white church, a small archaeology museum, and thermal baths down by the river. If you’re feeling adventurous, there are horse-riding facilities and mountain bike rentals available in Yanque. Once we get back to Chivay you’ll have time to unwind or continue exploring the town. Activities such as hiking, horse riding, and biking can be arranged here.

*These activities are not included in our tour, but we’ll happily help you arrange them.

After an early breakfast at your hotel, a villager from nearby Coporaque will take you to his home for a day of cultural immersion, so you can get a feel for the traditional way of life in this part of Peru. Coporaque is a small village a short distance from Chivay, down an unpaved road. The village sits near the Colca River and is surrounded by a pretty of hills covered with agricultural terraces, some of which date back to the Incas. The green terraces are filled with crops and grazing cattle. The village has remained largely isolated from the modern world and most of the locals still dress in the traditional, colorful fashion of their ancestors. The village has only recently received electricity and proper piping to carry water down from the mountains above. Visiting Coporaque is a form of sustainable tourism with great benefits to the local community, and provides a fascinating insight for visiting tourists. 

Once you arrive at the villager’s home you’ll sit with him as he lays out the plan for the morning – and then he’ll put you to work! But don’t worry, it will be interesting and fun, we promise! We can’t say precisely what the work will be, as it depends on the season and the day. But normal activities include working in the fields, herding animals, and preparing the land for sowing or harvesting, all in the traditional Andean way. And, of course, it’s a great chance to interact with the locals. They won’t speak English, so be prepared to use some Spanish or communicate with gestures and smiles.

It is also possible to go trekking to the Ruins of San Antonio. It takes approximately an hour.

Around 13h00 we will begin our drive back to Arequipa (or Puno, if you choose that option).