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The Colca Canyon

The Colca Canyon is a beautiful part of Peru offering stunning scenery and one of the best opportunities to see condors in the wild. Originally, the area was inhabited by the Collaguas and the Cabanas, and the Incas also occupied the area for a short time. The Collaguas were an industrious and prosperous people, and the terraces throughout the canyon indicate their agricultural and architectural skills. When the Spanish occupied the valley in 1540, Viceroy Toledo ordered that the population, which had been dispersed throughout the valley, be gathered into fourteen villages, which survive today. This made it easier to control and tax the inhabitants.

he Incas conquered the Colca region in the middle of the 15th century, and one of Inca Mayta Capac's generals married the ñusta Mama Yacchi. He established his base in Coporaque, where he built a copper palace. However, this was destroyed by Gonzalo Pizarro in 1548 to make harness parts for the Spanish cavalry. The rest of the copper was used to cast the bells for the village church, which still exist.

The Colca Canyon runs for over 100km, and the average distance from the peaks of the mountains to the river below is 3,400m. Until recently, it was thought that it was the deepest canyon in the world, although it is now generally accepted that the Cotahuasi Canyon, also in the department of Arequipa, is deeper. The depth of the canyon from the Cruz del Condor to the river is approximately 1,500m. The deepest point of the canyon is beyond Cabanaconde, close to the Valley of the Volcanoes.

In addition to the canyon, the area is one of the most volcanically active in Peru, and Sabancay, which erupted in the 1980s, can usually be seem smoking, as can Ubinas.

The Colca Canyon was largely inaccessible until the 1970s, when a road from Arequipa was built as part of the Majes irrigation project, which diverts water from the Colca River to the agricultural area of Majes. In fact, the valley was largely forgotten throughout the Republican period, and the inhabitants lived in almost total isolation. The villages, which have changed little since Toledo's decree, are now in regular contact with the rest of Peru, and the area is visited by many thousands of tourists every year.

Arequipa to Chivay

The majority of tourists who visit Arequipa pass through this region on the way to the Colca Canyon. Although not worth a trip on its own, there are a number of areas of interest on the drive, included on most tours to the Colca Canyon, such as the Aguada Blanca National Reserve, where vicuñas can be seen, and the Laguna Salinas, with flamingos.

The vicuña produces the finest wool in the world, with a diameter of only 11-13 microns, as opposed to 30 microns for sheep wool. The vicuña is undomesticated, and therefore the wool can only be gathered from wild animals. This led to wide hunting of the animals, and in the 1960s the vicuña was on the verge of extinction, with only 10,000 left in Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. A conservation programme was then introduced, and the Reserva Nacional de Salinas y Aguada Blanca (*) was created. Today, it is estimated that there are over 100,000 vicuñas, with 80% of these in Peru. It is calculated that there are approximately 4,000 vicuñas in the Reserva Nacional de Salinas y Aguada Blanca, as well as 300 guanacos. Through tight control, the sale of vicuña wool has been reintroduced, and Grupo Inca in Arequipa produces fine, and very expensive, vicuña clothing.

The route to the Colca offers a perfect opportunity to see the vicuña in the wild. The vicuña is typically found in gatherings or one male and four-to-six females, although bachelor males are often found in groups of 40 animals. The female gives birth to only one baby at a time, and has a gestation period of 11 months.

Laguna Salinas, at 4,300m, is a vast, shallow lake. The waters are extremely saline, and in winter when the lake dries totally, locals extract salt from the lake. In summer, when water returns to the lake, up to 30,000 flamingos can be seen. Three species of flamingos are present - the Andean, the Chilean and the James.

The Caves of Sumbay are not directly on the way to the Colca, but are found behind Misti. In the caves are paintings dating from 4,000 BC.

The journey from Arequipa to Chivay takes about three to fours hours.

Chivay

Chivay, the main town in the Colca Canyon, is the capital of the Caylloma district. The town is rather small and is not particularly attractive, although the Plaza de Armas has a certain charm. Chivay is the main tourist centre in the Colca Canyon, and there are plenty of hotels and restaurants, as well as a few other tourist facilities. Most travellers to the canyon spend a night in Chivay.

Chivay to the Cruz del Condor

There are several towns between Chivay and the Cruz del Condor. Yanque was the main Franciscan missionary centre in the region, and the church reflects this importance. This was built in 1691-98 by stonemasons from Arequipa. The main portal represents St Francis of Assisi surrounded by other saints. The town is probably the most faithful to the original layout by Toledo. There are some hot springs near the colonial bridge.

The church in Maca is of interest, especially in the interior. Here, the complete set of golden altarpieces from the 18th century is preserved. Saints, mirrors and paintings of the Virgin can be seen in the woodcarvings.

Cruz del Condor

The most visited part of the canyon is the Cruz del Condor, where the river is almost 1,500m below the lookout point, and 3,400m below the surrounding peaks. These mountains, normally covered in snow, form a spectacular backdrop for the condors, which glide by on the thermals rising from the canyon. It is for the condors that many tourists visit the canyon, and there can be few places in the world that offer the chance to see these birds at such close quarters.

The condor is a carrion eater and feeds on dead animals. It does not kill animals itself, and would be unable to lift off live animals, as its claws do not permit it to grasp prey. The condor nests in the steep cliff-faces around the Cruz del Condor, and lays one or two eggs a year, which are approximately 11cm long. Young condors have brown feathers, which change to black at around eight years of age. At this point the condor also develops a white collar and white markings on the wings. It is possible to distinguish the male bird by its fleshy crest. Condors have been known to live to 50 years old. The condor is the heaviest flying bird in the world, and can weigh up to 12kg. Its wingspan is often in excess of three metres.

The best months to see the condors are from May to November. When it is cloudy or cold the condors rarely appear, so the rainy season should be avoided. There is no set time at which the condors appear, although it is generally around 8.30am. However, they can appear as early as 7.30am, occasionally, and as late as 10.30am. Generally, if you are at the Cruz del Condor by about 8am you should see the birds.

There is a $2 entrance fee for visitors on tours from Arequipa, although this is included in the cost of the tour. Independent travellers, arriving at the Cruz del Condor on public transport, do not have to pay this.

Cabanaconde

Cabanaconde is a small agricultural village, and is the last town in the Colca Canyon that can be easily reached. Many women in the town still dress in traditional clothes, and the hats, in particular, are visible everywhere. Bulls and donkeys can often be seen wandering the streets of the village unaccompanied. The town is the main starting point for descents into the canyon, and there are also many other treks that start near Cabanaconde.

Other towns in the Colca Canyon

There are several other towns in the Colca Canyon, mostly on the other side of the valley. A fine church can be found in Tisco, which combines the architectural styles of Arequipa and Cusco. The relief of the borders enclosing the portal are typical of Arequipa, and the oval window in the main facade, as well as the towers, are typical of Cusco. The church in Coporaque is one of the few surviving 16th century buildings in the valley. Its bells were cast from the copper used to build the palace for the wife on an Inca general. The Chapel of San Sebastián is particularly impressive, having one of the finest late renaissance facades in Peru. The church at Lari is one of the most impressive structures in the Colca Canyon, and it has the only raised cupola in the valley.