One of Peru's natural wonders, this canyon is high, deep and home to condors. Explore Colca Canyon in words and pictures.
The Colca river begins high in the Andes, at Condorama Crucero Alto, drops down to the Pacific in stages, changing its name to Majes and then Camana as it goes. Where it runs between the tiny mountain villages of Chivay to Cabanaconde is a deep canyon known as the Colca Canyon. Here, condors soar above the canyons and high into the thin mountair air.
The Colca river begins high in the Andes, at Condorama Crucero Alto, drops down to the Pacific in stages, changing its name to Majes and then Camana as it goes. Where it runs between the tiny mountain villages of Chivay to Cabanaconde is a deep canyon known as the Colca Canyon.
Scroll down the page for description of the Colca valley, civilization and sightseeing.
Condors, photos, getting there and suggested itinerary for the solo traveler.
Description, history, wildlife and recommendations.
Tours, photo gallery and essential information.
Click on a thumbnail for larger images, including condors in flight.
Photos of a journey through the canyon from beginning to end.
Rafting expeditions, packing instructions, itinerary and photos.
Trekking information for independent hikers.
"Two-mile deep Colca Canyon is off the radar screen of most Americans planning a trip to Peru, but it’s one of the most memorable places in the country. This giant gash in the earth isn’t easy to get to, but when you’re standing at the Cruz del Condor lookout gawking at the swooping giant condors you know it’s worth the five-hour drive on rugged dirt roads over 17,000-foot-high passes."
"Seven bedroom lovely eco lodge built using local materials and commanding superb views of the gardens, fields and the river. There are hot springs within short walking distance of the lodge."
Description, recommendations and attractions.
"Once you’ve settled in it’s hard to leave Parador del Colca, a seven-room ecolodge near the rim of Peru’s Colca Canyon, the second deepest canyon in the world."
Life in Colca Canyon, high in the Peruvian Andes, moves along at a pace set in pre-Inca times. These pictures show the weather-beaten faces of locals, giant condors swooping on the updrafts in the canyon and the terraces where locals have grown crops for centuries.
"No, it's not the famous Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA, nor the Copper Canyon of northern Mexico. Come to southern Peru where high in the Andes exists the lesser known Colca Canyon, which for 100 kms averages 3400 meters deep (ca 2 miles)." Getting there, photos, what to do and see, and where to stay and eat.
