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              COLCA CANYON - PERU


Colca Canyon is a canyon of the Colca River in southern Peru. It is located about 100
miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Arequipa. It is more than twice as deep as the
Grand Canyon in the United States. However, the canyon's walls are not as vertical
as those of the Grand Canyon. The Cotahuasi Canyon to the northwest is a deeper
canyon at 11,488 ft (3,501 m). Since they are such major features of the landscape,
the Colca and Cotahuasi canyons are both easily recognizable in even
low-resolution satellite photos of the region. The Colca Valley is a colorful Andean
valley with towns founded in Spanish Colonial times and formerly inhabited by the
Collaguas and the Cabanas. The local people still maintain ancestral traditions and
continue to cultivate the pre-Inca stepped terraces.

The Colca Valley is an area of astounding scenic beauty, with giant Andean terraces
and a deep canyon that reach a depth of 3140 metres. A journey to the Colca valley
will take you throughout high Andean plateau, reaching at one point a high pass of
4800 metres, which offers fine views of the Volcanoes. Along the way visitors can
enjoy unique natural sceneries, as well as animal life; such as herds of Vicuņas (a
wild relative of Llamas and Alpacas) and various types of birds, of which stand out
the giant hummingbird, eagles, gooses and the mighty Andean Condor. If you like
adventure tours, the Canyon also offers wonderful treks down to its button,
descending throughout huge mountains, exploring oasis-like valleys, thermal
springs, and camping outdoors.

The Colca River starts high in the Andes at Condorama Crucero Alto and changes
its name to Majes, and then to Camana before reaching the Pacific Ocean. Parts of
the canyon are habitable, and Inca and pre-Inca terraces are still cultivated along the
less precipitous canyon walls. The small town of Chivay is on the upper Colca River,
where the canyon is not so deep but where many terraces are present in the canyon
and continue for many kilometers downstream. As the canyon deepens downriver, a
series of small villages is spread out over the approximately 35 miles (56 km)
between Chivay and the village of Cabanaconde. The canyon reaches its greatest
depth and, in contrast, about 15 miles (24 km) to the southeast rises the 20,630-ft
(6,288-m) Nevado Ampato, a snow-capped extinct volcano.

The valley lies in the Callalli and Huambo districts of the Caylloma Province

The Andean condors are attracting more and more visitors each year to the Colca
Canyon. The Canyon is home of this majestic Condor and tourists can see the big
condors at fairly close range as they fly through the canyon walls. The canyon is the
natural habitat of the great Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), a species that has seen
world-wide effort to preserve it.

'Cruz del Condor' is a popular tourist stop to view the condors, the pass where
condors soar gracefully on the rising thermals occurring as the air warms. The
condors hunt in the early morning and late afternoon, so it is best to be there during
those times. At this point the canyon floor is 3,960 ft (1,200 m) below the rim of the
canyon.

The Colca Canyon is also ideal for Adventure Sports. In addition, the La Calera
natural hot springs are located at Chivay, the biggest town in the Colca Canyon.