Arequipa
This neo-colonial city of white volcanic stone lies at 2,380 metres above sea level in a fertile, irrigated valley surrounded by desert and set between the Andes and Peru’s Pacific coast. Known as “The City of Eternal Spring”, Arequipa receives less than 150mm of annual rainfall and the sun shines all year round. Its beautiful, tree-studded plaza is dominated by the elaborate facade of the cathedral, founded in 1612 but rebuilt several times after the series of earthquakes which have shaken the city – but not the spirit of its hard-working people – over the centuries. The ocean meets the Andes in Arequipa’s local cuisine, served in traditional “picanterias”, where one can expect to find shellfish and highland produce on the same plate.
Colca Canyon
Colca Canyon can be reached via a five-hour journey from Arequipa. At almost 3,400 metres deep, it is considered - together with its more remote neighbour Cotahuasi – one of the deepest canyons in the world. Here condors rise above the most extensive system of pre-Inca and Inca terracing in Peru, and whitewashed colonial churches stand over picturesque villages where life has changed little for centuries.
Programs:
Arequipa city tour (half day – either by bus or on foot)
We will visit the cathedral on the tree-lined main square, as well as the Jesuit church, and the Santa Catalina convent, often described as “a city within a city”, built in 1580, occupied by a closed order of nuns and only opened to the public in 1970. The tour ends in the colonial quarter of Yanahuara, with its fine views of the volcanic cone of El Misti.
Other points of interest in the city include the La Recoleta convent, the ice maiden museum with the mummified remains discovered by the high altitude archaeologist Johann Reinhard, the countryside around the city and the rural Sabandia colonial mill.
Colca Canyon (Full day or 2 days / 1 night) *
| Day 1 |
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From Arequipa we travel up into the Andes to the Colca Canyon, some five hours from the city. Colca, together with its more remote neighbour Cotahuasi, is one of the deepest canyons in the world. The scenery is truly spectacular, with great Andean condors soaring over pre-Inca agricultural terraces, sheer rock walls and the Colca River far below. Overnight in the village of Chivay. |
| Day 2 |
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After visiting Cruz del Condor – the ideal spot to watch Andean condors rising from the river 1,200 below on the morning thermals – and passing through a number of typical highland villages, we will return to Arequipa, arrriving in the late afternoon. |
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*3 and 4 day trips, including trekking options, to the Colca Canyon are also available. |
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