Day 01 : Arequipa / Colca Valley (Yanque)
We leave Arequipa at 8 AM for the Colca Valley. From Arequipa (2325m) we travel by bus to Pampa Cañahuas (3800m) where we can appreciate vicuñas in their natural habitat. Then we continue to the road's highest point, Patapampa (4800m), and marvel at the high volcanoes which surround the place.
We arrive at Yanque at 2 pm, a small town located at 3400 masl. We will be staying in a private residential house owned and run by a local family. We will also eat; as Hilda, the lady of the house, is a marvelous cook!
In the afternoon, we will go for a short walk visiting the ruins of Uyo-Uyo, pre-Inca terraces, the "colcas" themselves (caves in the rocks where food was stored and conserved in pre-Inca times) and - to finish- take a refreshing and invigorating bath in the thermal baths of Yanque.
In the evening, we can enjoy a delicious typical dinner with the family, and then go to bed in our cozy rooms in the house. In this special (and little known) place, tourists are always delighted by the sheer beauty of the countryside and by the affection with which the host family welcomes them into their beautiful little home.
Day 02 : Colca Valley / Arequipa
Very early on the second day we will have breakfast made with fresh, natural foods from the region. We will then head to the famous Mirador Del Condor (the Condor Viewpoint) to witness the soaring flights of these magnificent birds of prey as they ascend on the thermals from the depths of the canyon. From here we can also appreciate the depth and expanse of the Canyon itself - vast, green, verdant, plunging cliffs, snow-capped peaks in the distance, and the deep blue sky.
On the way back, we will make several stops in the small villages, characteristic of the Colca Valley. We arrive at Chivay, the provincial capital, take a break for lunch and then return to Arequipa by bus in the afternoon, arriving there at 17:30hrs. Transfer to your hotel. End of services.
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