2 Day 1 Night Trek / Colca Canyon

Day 1 · Arequipa city - Chivay - Condor’s cross - Sangalle

1. 1

   Historical Centre of the City of Arequipa

   Passing by

   Pickup at your hotel/hostel in Arequipa. Direct transfer to Chivay.

2. 2

   Plaza de Armas de Chivay

   30 min

   We arrive in Chivay around 7:30 am to have breakfast. This town is famed for its traditional houses and its colourful landscape.

3. 3

   Condor's Cross

   30 min

   The condor's cross viewpoint is known as the best place in South America to see the Andean Condor flying. The Andean Condor Bird can weigh up to 12 kg with a wingspan of over 3 metres!

4. 4

   Oasis Sangalle

   11 hours Admission not included

   Sangalle is a village at an altitude of approximately 1900 masl. There you can enjoy the warm swimming pool to relax after a long day hiking. We arrive to Sangalle at approximately 17:00 hrs. At night, we have dinner and sleepover in bungalows.

5. 5

   Colca Canyon

   Passing by

   Between 3:00 and 3:30 hrs, we depart from Arequipa to Cabanaconde in the Colca Canyon, which is about a 6 hour drive. On the way we stop for breakfast in Chivay and later continue to Condor's cross which is the best place to watch the Canyon and the famous Andean Condor birds. From there, we continue another 20 minutes by bus to start our trek downhill. We trek downhill for approximately 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. From there, we continue to the small towns of Cosñirhua and Malata, then it's time to start hiking even further into the Canyon, this time into the deepest part of the trek to reach “Sangalle”, a village at an altitude of approximately 1900 masl. There you can enjoy the warm swimming pool to relax after a long day hiking. We arrive to Sangalle at approximately 17:00 hrs. At night, we have dinner and sleepover in Cielo azul Lodge.

We sleep in Cielo Azul lodge. It has a swimming pool and a bar. The rooms are basic but the beds are very comfortable.

Day 2 · Sangalle - Cabanaconde - Hot Springs - Chivay - Arequipa city

1. 1

   Hot Springs Chacapi

   one hour Admission not included

   After the breakfast in Cabanaconde we go to the hot springs, which are located close to Chivay. The entrace costs 15 soles and it's not included in the price. In the Hot Springs you will find different pools with water temperature from 30ºC up to 60°C. Coming into the Hot Springs is optional but it's definetly a nice experience.

2. 2

   Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve

   15 min

   In the way back to Arequipa we stop into the reserve in a place called Pampa Cañahuas to see Volcanos but also camelids as Alpacas, Llamas and Vicuñas. The stop is only 10 - minutes but you will see volcanos and camelids during more than 1 hour.

3. 3

   Colca Canyon

   Passing by

   At 05:00 hrs, we start trekking uphill for approximately 3 hours to the town of Cabanaconde with the help of torch lights. This part of the trek can provide spectacular views as we trek during the sunrise. We have breakfast in Cabanaconde, from there we 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 in Chivay at the hot springs (optional). In Chivay, we enjoy a typical local lunch if you want.

   In the afternoon, we have transportation back to Arequipa. On the way, we descend from 4830 masl to 2325 masl and pass through a national reserve and Pampa Cañahuas, which is a habitat for the four species of South American camelids (llama, alpaca, vicuña and guanaco). At the end of the afternoon, we arrive in Arequipa around 17:30 hrs and we drop you off at Calle Santa Catalina, next to Santa Catalina Monastery.