| 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. |
| Tours Exotiques discovering the Andes |
| 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 4x4 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. |
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