Colca Canyon
One Of The Deepest Canyons In The World, Around 3,400 M At Its Deepest Point, With Andean Condors Rising On Morning Thermals At The Cruz Del Condor Viewpoint, Terraced Collagua And Cabana Villages And Hot Springs At Chivay. · Chivay, Arequipa
Colca Canyon is a deep Andean gorge north of Arequipa, carved by the Colca river between volcanic peaks and around 3,400 m at its deepest point, which makes it one of the deepest canyons in the world. What most visitors come for is the Cruz del Condor viewpoint, where Andean condors rise on morning thermals close enough to see their wing feathers, though sightings are never guaranteed. The rest of the valley is just as striking: pre-Inca and Inca terraces still farmed by Collagua and Cabana families, quiet villages with white colonial churches, hot springs at Chivay, and a hard three-day trek down to the Sangalle oasis. The high road from Arequipa crosses a pass close to 4,900 m, so altitude is the main health risk, and a one-day tour from Arequipa that leaves around 3 am is exhausting. Spend at least one night in Chivay or Cabanaconde, bring cash because ATMs are scarce, and go between April and November when the weather is dry and the sky is mostly clear, with the best light for the condors.
Deep Andean canyon north of Arequipa, entered through the town of Chivay about 160 km away, with the Cruz del Condor viewpoint near Pinchollo, Chivay, Arequipa, Peru
The canyon, villages and trails are open at all times and cost nothing to enter, though the Boleto Turistico del Colca is collected at checkpoints on the road. The Cruz del Condor viewpoint is best from early to mid-morning, when the thermals start, and tour buses arrive early. Hot springs at La Calera keep daytime and early evening hours. Village shops and restaurants close early, and some rooms fill by evening. Confirm bus and tour times locally.