Located 100 miles northwest of Arequipa, Colca Canyon is the second deepest canyon in the world. At almost twice the depth of the Grand Canyon in the US, Colca is a place that you have to visit while backpacking in Peru.
As well as the spectacular views on offer, Colca Canyon is also home to one of the largest birds in the world, the magnificent Andean Condor.
The Andean Condor has a wingspan of around 2.0 – 2.5 metres and typically lives between 60 and 70 years. The best place to spot this impressive creature in flight is from Cruz del Condor, a popular tourist spot accessible by road.
From this viewpoint, the canyon is approximately 1200m (3900ft) deep and you watch in awe as the condors dive far into the canyon in search of their prey.
A 1-day Colca Canyon Tour from Arequipa is certainly enough time to see the canyon and the highlights of Colca valley comfortably. It does however, require a very early start. The majority of day-tours from Arequipa begin before 4am, in order to give enough time to get to the canyon and enjoy everything it has to offer.
If you’re looking to do the trip independently, then the best option is to jump on a bus from Arequipa to Cabanaconde (5 hour journey), and source a taxi from the town to Cruz del Condor.
Colca Canyon attracts visitors from all around the globe, and we don’t want you to miss out.
