Day 1: Arequipa City to Chivay to Condor’s cross to Sangalle, between 03:00 & 03:30 hrs, we depart to Cabanaconde in the Colca Canyon, which is about a 6 hour drive from Arequipa. On the way we stop for breakfast and then continue to the Condor’s cross which is the best place to watch the Canyon and the famous Andean Condor. We drive 20 more minutes to start our trek downhill. We hike downhill for about 3 hours from 3300 masl to 2100 masl into the Canyon.
Upon arrival, we have lunch and some time to rest in San Juan de Chuccho, a village with vegetation and some fruit trees. Then we continue and pass by some towns as Cosñirhua and Malata, then it’s time to start hiking even further into the Canyon, this time into the deepest part of the Canyon to reach “Sangalle” a village at an altitude of 1900 masl. In Sangalle you can enjoy the swimming pool after a long day hiking. We arrive to Sangalle at 17:00 hrs. At night, we have dinner and sleep in bungalows near the oasis.
Day 2: Sangalle to Chivay to Arequipa City At 05:00 hrs, we start hiking uphill for about 3 hours to Cabanaconde town using torch lights. That part of the trek can provide spectacular views as we hike during the sunrise. We have breakfast in Cabanaconde and then head to Chivay. On the way, we have a great view of pre-Inca terraces, some archaeological ruins and colonial towns amongst other views. Around noon, we arrive to the hot springs, with water temperatures of 38°C (optional). In Chivay, we have a buffet lunch in a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, we have transfer back to Arequipa. On the way, we descend from 4830 masl to 2325 masl and pass by a national reserve and Pampa Cañahuas, which is a habitat for the four species of South American camelids (llama, alpaca, vicuña and guanaco). At 17:30 hrs we arrive in Arequipa and drop you off next to Santa Catalina Monastery.
Transfer from Chivay to Puno
If you want to go to Puno instead of coming back to Arequipa, you can add this service in the booking section. Going from Chivay to Puno let you save many hours. Our bus departs at 13:15 hrs after having lunch in Chivay and arrives around 18:45 hrs in Puno. In the way to Puno we stop in Pampa Cañahuas and also in a nice spot to watch the Volcanoes so you won’t miss anything.