Overview
The Colca Canyon Tour from Arequipa leaves the White City before dawn and returns the same route in the afternoon or the following day, depending on the version chosen. The full loop covers roughly 330 km on paved road through the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve.
The first hour climbs steadily out of the city. Vicuñas graze on the open puna here, and the volcanoes Misti at 5,822 m, Chachani at 6,057 m and Pichu Pichu at 5,664 m stay visible in the mirror for much of the ascent.
The highest point on the road is the Patapampa viewpoint, at 4,910 m. Locals call it Mirador de los Volcanes, and on a clear morning eight peaks line the horizon, including Ampato, where the mummy Juanita was found in 1995. Stacked stone cairns cover the ground around the platform.
From there the road drops into Chivay, capital of the Caylloma province, at 3,635 m. The town is the gateway to the valley and the base for most overnight versions of the trip, with the La Calera hot springs sitting 3 km away at around 38 °C.
Beyond Chivay the road follows the north bank of the river through Yanque, Maca and Pinchollo. Pre-Inca agricultural terraces climb both sides of the valley, still farmed today by families from the Collagua and Cabana communities, each identifiable by the shape of their embroidered hats.
The canyon itself reaches 3,270 m in depth, more than twice the Grand Canyon. Cruz del Cóndor, about 50 km from Chivay, is the classic viewpoint. Andean condors ride the morning thermals here, birds with wingspans of up to 3.2 m that often pass within a few metres of the wall.
Best sightings run between 8:00 and 10:00, when the temperature difference between the canyon floor and the rim creates the updraughts the birds use. Patience helps, since the flights come in waves rather than continuously.
The return follows the same valley road back through Chivay and over Patapampa, reaching Arequipa in the late afternoon or evening. Travellers continuing east often switch to the Colca to Puno route instead of returning, but the Colca Canyon Tour from Arequipa is built as a round trip for those staying in the city.