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 by the Spaniards in
1570 as settlements for the native people,
each one has managed to maintain its original
appearance despite the 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 singing and dancing, all
reveal the history of the Colca Valley.
Another highlight of the valley is the
Colca Canyon, it's an impressive geological
formation carved out by the river as it
has flowed 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).
Finally, the chance to watch the condors'
flight in their natural habitat and the
impressive scenery of one of the most unique
sites on the planet, plus the attractions
already mentioned, makes of the Colca Valley
one of the most important travel destinations
in the Southern Andes in Peru.
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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
at the bottom, you realize that it
has been only half of the trek, indeed,
the easiest part. The trail
starts in Cabanaconde town, the last
village on the road, from there you
can not 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 at the bottom
the river and the campsite.
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The
first part of the trail is close to
10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and it takes
3 hours to reach the river (the bottom
of the canyon). The trail is rocky
and dusty, so hiking boots are the
best choice. This path is used by
local people to carry and take things
to the towns on 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. 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 cold water of the river. It's
a big rock on the right side of the
bridge where you can lay down and
rest for a while. Also, you can buy
water or refill your bottle here.
It's
time to continue with the excursion,
the next stop is lunch. There is a
village, 30 minutes from the bridge,
where you can eat. The name of the
village is San Juan and there are
some families who run small restaurants.
You can buy water there too. After
lunch you can continue to Cornishua
town but be careful because between
San Juan and Cornishua are many paths
and trails and it's very easy to get
lost. It takes almost one hour to
reach the next village. The hardest
part of the hike is a 20 minutes climb
to this town. From Cornishua
the trail is easy, flat and downhill
until the campsite.
From
this town is one hour and a half more
to the campsite. After Cornishua you
pass through another village, Malata,
and then you will get to a place from
where it's possible to see the campsite,
Oasis (the name is because it looks
like a real oasis, with palm trees
and swimming pools). The last part
of the trail is downhill, you cross
again the river and 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 natural
spring, you should go for a swim and
rest for a while before dinner. It's
cool at night, and sometimes gets
a little cold. There are bamboo huts
in the campsite, so you won't need
tents, but I suggest to bring your
sleeping. There are also toilets in
the campsite, it really feels like
a oasis.
The
next day you have to wake up early
(4 am) to start the hike early in
the morning before the sun rise and
it gets hot. The trail is uphill and
you have to climb 1,000 meters (3,300
ft) from the campsite to Cabanaconde
town. The trail is steep and it is
still dark when you start, so you
will need a flashlight for the first
part. After 3 hours you will reach
the top and then Cabanaconde town
again, on time to eat breakfast and
take the bus back to Arequipa.
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AREQUIPA
Location:
This city is in the Southern Andes
at 2,350 meters (7,600 ft) above sea
level.
Climate:
Sunny and dry,
but cold at night. The mean temperature
goes from 24°C (75°F) in the
morning to 10°C (50°F) in
the night. The rainy season is from
January to March.
Surroundings:
This region
is known due to its volcanoes, the
most popular is the Misti at 5,825
meters (19,098 ft.) above sea level.
Another interesting place to visit
near Arequipa city is the Colca Canyon,
the 2nd deepest canyon in the world.
There you can appreciate beautiful
Andean landscapes as fields with terraces,
snow capped mountains and the canyon
itself as a giant deep scar on the
ground. Also, don't miss the flight
of the condors, the king of the Andean
skies.
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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, it is a great
example of the architecture of the
colonial times. It is also big, almost
a walled town inside the city, with
narrow streets, plazas and fountains,
a cemetery, laundry, kitchen and bakery.
Festivities:
The anniversary
of the foundation of Arequipa city
is in August 15th, and there are many
festivities the whole month, it's
also a great opportunity to try the
local cuisine, famous due to its spicy
flavors, also considered one of the
best in Peru.
Also
in the countryside are many local
feasts the whole year, specially in
the Colca Valley. Most of them are
catholic feasts, but there are also
big festivities with fireworks, bull
fights, people wearing typical clothingh
and of course music and dancing. One
of these feastivities is Carnival
in February.
Adventure:
You can hike
to the bottom of the Colca canyon
(1,000 mts or 3,300 ft. depth) where
the Colca river flows, and camp there.
The climb to the top of the canyon
is hard, but it is worth the effort.
The sceneries are impressive.
You
can also do whitewater rafting in
the Colca river after the rainy season.
March and April are the best time
to do it. It is very rough in some
parts, so you must do it with a professional
who has done it before and knows the
river.
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"I
think the value for the trip I did was extremely
attractive and I will certainly recommend
others to your tours." Dion
Rhodes (USA, NY) |
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