Peru Travel Guide: Visiting Natural Wonders – Colca Canyon

An international campaign to identify the world’s Seven Natural Wonders has begun, with places of natural importance from each continent being ranked by voters around the world.

With the world’s eyes on some of the world’s most important natural wonders, we decided to write a Latin America For Less guide on how to visit each of the sites in line for title of South America’s most important natural wonder.

An Andean Condor soaring through Colca Canyon, Peru

In fourth place, the majestic Colca Canyon is among one of the front runners for the leading spot.

The Canyon, twice as deep as the famous Grand Canyon, is characterized by a long and fascinating history as well as being home to a large colony of Andean Condors.

Colca Canyon, a popular stop off point during many Peru vacations, is inhabited by traditional communities, with agricultural terraces and unchanging villages dotting the landscape. The highlight of any visit to Colca is the Cruz del Condor, above the Canyon’s deepest point, where visitors have the strongest chance of spotting a magnificent Condor circling overhead.

Visiting Colca Canyon

Most Peru tours that include a stop at Colca first visit the city of Arequipa, before heading into the surrounding mountains for a night in the remote canyon region.

The road is bumpy in places and the journey from Arequipa takes several hours, so the tour is bound to start early. Travelers are also likely to notice the altitude and a store of coca-leaf sweets are recommended to avoid altitude sickness during the journey.

The small and pleasant town of Chivay, at the head of the Canyon is usually the first stop. It is here that most hotels are situated, along with a number of restaurants and peñas (restaurants with nightly performances of folk music and dance), plus the famous hot springs.

From Chivay you can make your way by road along the Canyon itself, until arriving at the Cruz del Condor for some spectacular views and photo opportunities.

For those wanting to spend more time at the Canyon, there are a huge number of opportunities for adventure activities and hiking with walking or cycling down into the Canyon and rafting along the river are all popular activities. Longer, multi-day treks through the region are also possible.