Into the Depths of Colca Canyon near Arequipa, Peru
In the last years, local officials in Arequipa, in the southern highlands of Peru, have been setting their sights on birders. It’s no surprise, considering that Peru contains an astonishing 10% of the world’s avian population. Arequipa’s astoundingly beautiful Colca Canyon is already the region’s principal attraction, but new albums and books focusing on the birds of Colca and distributed to those in the travel industry and to the plublic at large hope to open up a new niche market of bird enthusiasts. As a strategy, it makes sense- despite the wealth of natural beauty and pre-Columbian archaeological sites boasted by Colca Canyon, this geological wonder is already most well-known for its endangered Andean Condor colonies.
As one treks along winding routes dotted by traditional canyon towns, the massive condors (the world’s largest bird of flight) block out the sun as they ride the canyon’s rising thermals in circles, barely flapping their wings. Even travelers who don’t want to hike the canyon take a bus to Condor’s Cross lookout for a few hours of condor-viewing. Another unique bird you’ll see often in the canyon is the Giant Hummingbird.
Colca Canyon is one of the deepest in the world, second only to nearby Cotahuasi Canyon. Many travelers visit Arequipa solely to hike through Colca. In the wee hours of the morning, excursions leave the White City in tourist-class buses and 4x4s. As one nears the canyon towns, picturesque scenes begin to come into view: crooked tin roofs topping adobe homes plastered in white chalk, women in colorful skirts working in the patchwork orchards upon Incan terraces, pebbled roads surrounded by wildflowers.
After a warming breakfast in Cabanaconde, one begins the descent into canyon’s depths, down to the mighty force which carved the canyon, the Colca River. Although the days can start off chilly and foggy, the mist soon subsides as the sun bounces off the green cacti-studded canyon walls and heats up the canyon. Aside from birds and terraces, you’ll see huge flowers, an unbelievably glorious sunset, and very little hikers.
At Sangalle Oasis, you can enjoy some beers and soothe your muscles in the hotsprings, surrounded by dense vegetation including mango trees. After a night camping or in one of Sangalle’s bungalows, one must rise very early in order to begin the ascent through the canyon before the sun rises overhead.
Before returning to Arequipa, there’s a stop at Condors’ Cross Lookout, the most famous spot in the canyon. Here, one can admire the world’s largest birds of flight as they rise from their nesting colony deep below. Like clockwork, they begin to circle in search of food, riding the thermals of the sun’s rays warming the canyon.
An optional visit to the La Calera Hotsprings outside of Chivay rounds off a memorable visit to the canyon. On the way back to Arequipa, you can expect to stop at the Pampa Cañahuas in the Aguada Blanca National Reserve, home to herds of elegant vicuña, the Andes Lookout, Chucura Crater, and Chivay Lookout (overlooking pre-Incan terraces).
