Our second city in Peru was, by chance, the second biggest city in the county, Arequipa. Sticking with the theme of ‘seconds’, we also did our second hike while in Peru a few short hours outside of this city at the Colca Canyon. There is so much to do and see in Peru that it was hard to narrow down our activities within our 2 week stay, but we can’t stress how incredible this one was.
Who should you book with?
We booked the excursion with a company called Carlitos Tours, and they surpassed our expectations, even taking into account the shining reviews we read online (we read a lot of reviews & blogs before booking absolutely anything on our trips). Not only were they excellent while on the hike, but Carlito himself picked us up from & later dropped us off at the airport as part of the deal with booking through them. He was a very friendly man who gave us a quick tour of the city prior to dropping us off to the hotel. You could tell he has a lot of pride in not only his company & employees, but in the country & city itself. He informed us that one of the guides would be by that night to go over the plan for the next days before leaving us in the hands of our hotel.
Briefing for the hike
Later that night, on schedule, our guide showed up to talk us through the schedule for the next 2 days. His name was Hubert, and I can’t think of a more wonderful man & guide for the job. He was extremely intelligent, personable, fun, genuine and well-traveled (he works on a cruise ship when he isn’t giving tours in the Colca Canyon). Like Carlito, he definitely loved his city & his job, and over the following days made the hike more than just a walk in the mountains, he made it fun.
He constantly had a smile on his face and his amount of knowledge of the local atmosphere was mind blowing. He said he knew he wanted to be a tour guide since he was 8 years old, while growing up in the Canyon, so every day he is at work is a blessing and dream come true. He reassured us that there would be plenty of water to buy along the way (there was), showers if we wanted one at night (cold showers, but showers nonetheless!), and toilets at every stop (some even had toilet paper!). After he left, we busied ourselves with packing our daypack; we packed light with just a change of clothes, toiletries, camera, headlamps & sun screen.
The trek
The next morning, only one day removed from our 4 day Inka Trail trek to Machu Picchu, we got up bright and early at 3:30am to begin our trek in one of the world’s deepest canyons (twice as deep, but not as steep, as the Grand Canyon). Our fatigue dissolved quickly as we watched the sun rise over the volcanos surrounding the city on our way in the sprinter van to a town called Chivay, where we stopped for a quick breakfast before heading to our first stop, to witness the “Cruise of the Condors”.
A short ride later, and we were on the cliffs with a large number of other bird watchers, hoping to see the mystical Condor take flight. The area is home to several of the world’s largest bird, where the updrafts help them soar effortlessly while they warm-up their wings before a day of hunting for spoiled meat. Seeing different species of birds throughout the world can be pretty interesting, but seeing these massive birds fly was a sight to witness. Just their sheer size alone is awe inspiring; the last thing you think they would be able to do is fly.
There is no guarantee that you will see the birds, but we were lucky enough to see about 4 or 5 of them soar numerous times over a period of 45 minutes, at one point 3 of them were flying together. It was a magical moment and a great start to the day.
After watching the Andean Condors, we were ready to begin our 19km hike. It was only 4 of us & Hubert, the other 2 were a couple from Holland, which made for an intimate experience. The first part of the hike was switchback after switchback, working our way down the canyon walls. The views were incredible, and the sun was hot, and after a couple of hours we were down at the bottom, crossing a bridge over the Majes River. The whole time Hubert was telling us about the history of the region and people who lived there.
Although we had two snack breaks of fruit, crackers & juice, we were ready for lunch. We stopped at the first of several villages, called San Juan de Chuccho, on the far side of the canyon to eat. Like most of the villages, in recent years it has started catering towards backpackers who have begun flocking to the Colca Canyon. The spot where we ate had several small guest rooms and an outdoor dining area. While Hubert was training to be a tour guide in the region, he actually lived with the family who owned it for a full year in order to better learn the landscape and story of those who live there. The food was good, it included a typical dish of rice, potatoes & alpaca, and less than an hour later we were fueled up and back on the trail.
We continued on for hours, passing by several towns and following ancient aqueducts, which pre-date the Inka’s and have been well maintained over the decades so water from the glaciers on top of the mountains still flows freely downhill. The little towns were cute, all of which trying to get in on the relatively recent inflow of hikers and backpackers, offering rooms, warm showers, and ‘snack shacks’ with water, candy and fruit. The villages didn’t have access to a road until a few years ago when one was finally constructed (and the road doesn’t connect to all of them), but you can see that it is only a matter of time until it becomes an even more popular destination.
We finally made it to our destination about an hour before sunset, in the Sangalle Oasis. There were a handful of hostels in the Oasis, each with plots of green grass, flowers and a pool fed from a natural spring. The bungalow we stayed in was a little rough, all concrete and lacking windows (only shower curtains hanging over the open holes in the walls), but luckily had its own bathroom. There were definitely more than a few bugs in the room, and the electricity kicked in for only a few hours starting at 6pm, but it was still more than we expected for the location. After all, hiking the Colca Canyon is about being outdoors and experiencing nature, not posting up in a plush hotel room!
Dinner that night was great, we hung out in a large covered patio and drank beer & pisco from the bar, helped make guacamole as an appetizer in the kitchen, and had a dish of pasta and alpaca (again!). Exhausted from the early morning and long day, and full of good conversation and food, we decided to retire to our room around 8pm, but not without stopping to check out the amazing stars first (living in Philadelphia, seeing stars like that is a luxury we don’t get!). We crawled under the heavy blankets (it gets cold in the canyon at night, and not having ‘full’ walls means the rooms get cold, too!) and quickly fell asleep, knowing that the 5:00am start time the following day would come quickly.
To get out of the canyon, you have two options: walk or ride a mule. We opted to walk (and after hearing some of the horror stories involving mules, are glad we did). It took about 3 hours to walk the 5km of steep switchbacks up the side of the canyon. It was a bit slow going in the beginning, with having just walked 19km the day before and using headlamps in the dark, but eventually the sun came up and we were nearing the top in no time. It was a great moment of satisfaction to look down and see how far we came in only a few short hours, but having not eaten more than some fruit and crackers, our stomachs told us we had spent enough time taking in the views and needed to get a proper breakfast, so we headed to Cabanaconde to do just that.
On the way back, we made a couple of detours which only added to our experience. The first was a stop at some natural hot springs to ease our muscles and wash the dust away. Built into the side of cliffs, right down by the river, these springs are essentially small concrete wading pools that are fed directly with warm spring water. To say it was a much needed soak would be an understatement, and our hour there went much too fast. Next, we stopped at a lunch buffet in Chivay.
Buffets are always fun in other countries, it gives you the opportunity to try tons of different foods without committing to anything specific. We had vegetables, ratatouille, Alpaca steak & meatballs (yes, more alpaca), ceviche and a variety of deserts among other local cuisines. Back in the van, our next stop was at the highest point with a road in Southern Peru. The wind was whipping and air was cold (and lacking oxygen), but it was a cool experience and the views were incredible. Our last stop before fighting the traffic getting into Arequipa was at a National Reserve, where we saw hundreds of Alpacas and Llamas. We even saw their wild cousins, the Vicuna & Guanaco.
The landscape we drove through was gorgeous, you can still see hundreds and hundreds of terraces built by both the Inka and pre-Inka people (many of which are still used today). The area was an agricultural powerhouse in past centuries, growing quinoa, corn & potatoes, and the seemingly forever altered landscape is proof of the regions importance.
Covering the last mile or two in the van took over an hour in the heavy traffic of Arequipa, but it was a good time to reflect on all that we had just done. It was a very special trip and one that we are happy we accomplished. Coming off of the Inka Trail hike, we figured it would be similar, but we were far off on that assumption.
The landscape is completely different and the communities along the way give it an extra flair of culture. The people are extremely hard working and grateful, welcoming the casual hiker with open arms and a safe place to stay. Hubert was an absolute gem and our small group made for an unforgettable experience. Even though it was only 2 days, we found it was hard to say goodbye and get out of the van for the comfort of our hotel.
If you’re looking to book a tour to do this epic hike you can check out some options here: Colca Canyon Tour Options
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