Colca Valley
151 km / 94 miles north of Arequipa (3 hours by car). The extreme northeastern section of the department of Arequipa is
located here. The highest point is the inactive volcano Mount Ampato (6288 masl), and the lowest at the confluence of the
rivers Colca and Andamayo (970 masl). The Colca valley is 100 km in length and occupies only part of the Colca river basin,
comprising the districts of Callalli and Huambo.
There are sixteen villages in this zone made up of descendents of the Collaguas and Cabanas tribes, inheritors of rich
cultural traditions. The towns of Chivay and Cabanaconde are the most visited by tourists. In the latter, you can watch
condors soar from the Cruz de Condor (Condor Crossing) Lookout. The Colca valley forms part of the South American
tectonic plate and contains the active volcano Sabancaya, located on the volcanic mountain Hualca Hualca. This valley
possesses a great diversity of flora and fauna. Among the most representative species are the condor, the kestrel, the
peregrine falcon, and the Andean Tinamou.
Colca Canyon
42 km / 26 miles west of the town of Chivay (1 hour by car). This is one of the deepest places on the planet, reaching a
depth of 3400 meters / 11.155 feet at the lowest point in the location of Canco. On the right side, it is flanked by the Chila
Cordillera (Bomboya, Serpregrina, Mismi, Queshihua) and on the other by Mount Hualca Hualca, Sabancaya, and Ampato.
You can seeMountUbinas and beautiful MountCoropuna in the distance.
Imata Stone Forest
150 km / 93 miles
northeast of Arequipa on
the Puno highway (2
hours by car)
It is a complex of stone
structures that have the
appearance of a
mysterious petrified
forest. Erosion has
shaped the stones,
giving them a peculiar
aspect. The place is
easily accessible since it
is located near the
Arequipa – Juliaca
highway.
Ampato Volcano
173 km / 108 miles north
of Arequipa (5 hours by
4×4 vehicle). At 6288 masl
/ 20.630 fasl, it is
temporarily inactive and
exhibits a perpetual
snowcap at the height of
5000 meters / 16.404 feet.
The foothills have scarce
vegetation limited to
bunch grass and
hawthorn. At the top,
from which you can see
the ColcaCanyon,
explorers found the
“Dama de Ampato”, the
mummified remains of a
girl from the time of the
Incas.