Location: Southern Andes at a mean altitude of 2,350 meters or 7,600 ft above sea level.

Climate: Sunny and dry.  It’s cold at night and the rain period is from January to March.  The mean temperature goes from 24°C (75°F) in the morning to 10°C (50°F) at night. 

Landscapes: This region is known because its volcanoes, the most famous one is the Misti (5,825 m. or 19,098 ft.); nevertheless, the most interesting place to visit with gorgeous sceneries is the Colca Canyon, the 2nd deepest canyon in the world. There you can appreciate beautiful Andean landscapes like fields with terraces, snow capped mountains and the canyon itself as a giant deep scar in the ground. Also, don't miss the flight of the condors, the king of the Andean skies.

History: The city of Arequipa was founded by the Spaniard Captain Garci Manuel de Carbajal on August 15th, 1540.  It became in an important and wealthy town because it was a mandatory stop for the silver from the mines of Potosi (now Bolivia) in its way to Spain. Also, it was the center of the commerce and trade between Lima (capital) and the Southern territories. All these made of it a wealthy community, that's why many churches and mansions were built in this town, all made with "sillar" (white volcanic rock whose porous composition makes it easy to carve and work with). One of the historic places you should visit here, is the Santa Catalina convent, its beautiful cloisters and the brightness of its colors make it a great example of the architecture of the colonial times.  It is huge, almost a separated town inside the city, with narrow streets, plazas and fountains, a cemetery, laundry, kitchen and bakery.

Customs and feasts: The anniversary of the foundation of Arequipa city is in August 15th, and it are many festivities the whole month, it's also a great opportunity to try the local cuisine, famous because its spicy flavors, also considered the best of Peru.

Also in the countryside are many local feasts the whole year, specially in the Colca Valley. Most of them are catholic feasts, but it are also big festivities with fireworks, bull fights, people wearing typical clothes and of course music and dance. One of these feasts is carnival in February.

Activities: You can do some hiking and camping in the Colca canyon, the 2nd deepest in the world after Cotahuasi Canyon (also in Arequipa State). There you can go to the bottom of the canyon (1,000 mts or 3,300 ft. depth) where the Colca river flows, and camp beside it. The climb to the top of the canyon is hard, but it is worthwhile because its sceneries.

You can also do rafting in the Colca river after the rainy season, March and April is the best time to do it. It is very rough in some parts, so you must do it with professionals who have been there before and know the river and rapids.

The Colca Valley, "valley of wonders"

Perhaps one of the major attractions of the area, which led Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa to call it the “valley of wonders”, is its spectacular terracing, considered among the most extensive in southern Peru. These works, which allow cultivation and meticulously controlled irrigation of the steep slopes of the canyon, were built by the Collagua and Cabana ethnic groups between the ninth and fourteenth centuries AD. The Collaguas occupied the eastern and central parts of the valley and the Cabanas settled in the lower part of the Colca. Today the inhabitants of the Colca still use some of the terraces for cultivation of corn, potatoes, broad beans, alfalfa, quinua, barley and wheat.

Another attraction of the Colca is its unique towns. Founded under orders of the Spaniards in 1570 as settlements of native inhabitants, each one has managed to maintain its original appearance despite the passing of years.  Evidence of the cultural height reached during the Spanish colony are the imposing churches in Renaissance and Baroque styles raised in each town.  But the long history of the Colca isn’t solely reflected in its ancient constructions but also, and most notably for the visitor, in the traditions jealously kept by its friendly inhabitants. The traditional clothing, still worn by the majority of women, the legends recounted by its inhabitants, and the festivals by which agriculture cycles are marked with song and dance, all reveal the history of the Colca Valley.

Another highlight point of the valley is the Colca Canyon, it’s an impressive geological formation carved out by the river as it has descended between the mountains over millions of years. This canyon is one of the deepest in the world and it’s twice as deep as the Grand Canyon (USA).

Lastly, the possibility of observing the flight of the condor in its native habitat and the impressive scenery of one of the most beautiful spots on Earth, add to the attractions already mentioned, make the Colca Valley one of the most important travel destinations in the southern Andes in Peru.

Hiking the Colca Canyon (2 days and 1 night)

It isn't the deepest in the world, but it's deep enough to be a challenge for any hiker. The Colca canyon is a hard trail because once you are in the bottom, you realize that it's only the half of the trek, indeed, the easiest part.  The trail starts in Cabanaconde town, the last village on the road, from there you can't see the canyon, but the views of the terraces and fields are quite impressive. At one point, you leave the road to follow a horse trail, and after few minutes, the canyon appears as a huge scar in the ground. The view leaves you speechless, you can see this huge canyon, and also the trail you will follow, the towns you will visit and down in the bottom the river, your first goal in this excursion.

The first part of the trail is around 10 kilometers and takes 3 hours until the river (bottom of the canyon), the trail is rocky and dusty, so hiking boots are the best. This path is used by local people to carry and take things to the towns in the other side of the canyon, where it's impossible to get by bus or car, therefore, you should expect to be stop by donkeys, horses and even llamas on their way to those towns. As regards the wildlife, you will see many birds flying over your head, the most interesting is the majestic "condor". This big bird (up to 3 meters long from wing to wing) glides in circles in the air using the thermals that go up. If you are lucky, you can see also its nests in caves on the cliffs. Once you reach the bridge to cross the river, I suggest to do a stop to refresh yourself in the river. Take off your boots and socks and put your feet in the fresh water of the river. It's a big rock on the right side of the bridge where you can lay down and put your bare feet in the water.

It's time to continue with the excursion and lunch. It's a village 20 minutes from the bridge, where you can eat. The name of the village is San Juan and it are some families who run small restaurants. After lunch and buy some water, you are ready to continue to Corñishua town but be careful because between San Juan and Corñishua are many paths and trails and it's very easy to get lost. It takes around 1 hour to get in the next village, and you must follow a string, the problem is to find the string, once you find it, it's easy. The right trail will take you to a river that you have to cross jumping through rocks, once you cross it, you have to climb to reach the town.  Once in Corñishua the trail is easy, flat and downhill until the campsite.

It is one hour and a half more to the campsite. After Corñishua you pass through another village named Malata, and then you will get to a place from where it's possible to see the campsite named Oasis (the name is because it looks like a real oasis, with palm trees and swimming pools). The last part of the path is downhill, you have to get again in the river and cross it by another bridge, once you cross it, it's only 10 minutes more to the campsite.

In the campsite is a swimming pool with warm water that comes from a spring, you should go for a swim and rest for a while before dinner. It's not cold at night, neither windy, it's because it is in the bottom of the canyon. It are bamboo huts in the campsite, so you won't need tents or sleeping bags. It are also toilets in the campsite, you will agree it's a real oasis.

The next day you have to wake up early (5 am) to eat breakfast and start the hike early in the morning before the heat. This day the trail is uphill, 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) in zigzag. It's hard but not impossible. My advice is to enjoy the sceneries and don't think about the trail. After 3 hours you will reach the top and get in Cabanaconde town again, on time to eat something and take the bus back to Arequipa.

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