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EcoAdventures
EcoAdventures
Custom FITs & Excursions To Peru's
Arequipa and Colca Canyon Extensions

EcoAdventures has 3, 4 & 5-day packages available to Arequipa and the Colca Canyon

Arequipa

Galapagos M/V Santa Cruz Decks Overview
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Arequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population just under one million, it is the second largest city in the country. Arequipa lies in the Andes mountains, at an altitude of 7,800 feet above sea level; the snow-capped volcano El Misti scenically overlooks the city. The city has many beaufiful colonial-era Spanish buildings built of sillar,a pearly white volcanic rock, from which it gets the nickname La Ciudad Blanca ("The White City").

The historic center of Arequipa was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, in recognition of its architecture and historic integrity. One of the most remarkable sites is the Convent of Santa Catalina. It is a cloistered convent built in 1580 and was enlarged in the 17th century. There are approximately 20 nuns currently living in the northern corner of the complex; the rest of the monastery is open to the public. The tradition of the time indicated that the second son or daughter of a family would enter religious service, and the convent accepted only women from high-class Spanish families. Each nun at Santa Catalina had between one and four servants or slaves, and the nuns invited musicians to perform in the convent, gave parties and generally lived a lavish lifestyle. Each family paid a dowry at their daughter's entrance to the convent, equivalent to US $50,000 today.

Colca Canyon
Arequipa is the starting point for a 2- or 3-day excursion to the Colca Canyon, located about 100 miles northwest of Arequipa. It is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States (13,648 feet). However, the canyon's walls are not as vertical as those of the Grand Canyon. The Colca Valley is a colorful Andean valley with towns founded in Spanish Colonial times and formerly inhabited by the Collaguas and the Cabanas.

Colca Canyon, Peru
Colca Canyon, Peru

The local people still maintain ancestral traditions and continue to cultivate the pre-Incan, stepped terraces. The small town of Chivay is on the upper Colca River, where the canyon is not so deep but where many terraces are present in the canyon and continue for many miles downstream. As the canyon deepens downriver, a series of small villages is spread out over the approximately 35 miles (between Chivay and the village of Cabanaconde). The canyon reaches its greatest depth about 15 miles to the southeast, in contrast to Nevado Ampato, a 20,630 feet snow-capped extinct volcano.


Arequipa
3-Day Extension
Day 1:
Puno (Lake Titicaca) or Lima to Arequipa - Departure by air to Arequipa and transfer to your selected hotel.
Day 2: In Arequipa - Today you will tour “The White City”, visiting the Plaza de Armas, an enchanting blend of baroque and local Creole or native styles of architecture. The plaza is flanked by the Cathedral on one side, and by typical colonial arcades on the other three sides. Then tour the most fascinating sight in Arequipa: the Santa Catalina Convent, which existed in mystery for four centuries behind walls enclosing almost five square blocks. The convent was a cloister and the nuns who entered were from the finest Peruvian families. When they entered their fathers gave substantial dowries to the order, and the nuns lived in individual houses, which their families built. The ancient colonial treasures, artwork, and fine collections of furniture, kitchen utensils, etc., make the two-hour visit most interesting. (B)
Day 3: Arequipa to Lima, Cuzco or Puno (Lake Titicaca) - Transfer to the aiprort for your continuing air service to either Lima, Cuzco or Lake Titiaca. Alternatively you can extend your stay with an overland excursion to the Colca Canyon. (B)

Colca Canyon
2 or 3-Day Extension
Arequipa Misti VolcanoDay 1:
Arequipa to Chivay - In the morning you leave Arequipa and head towards the valley. On the way you pass Pampa de Arrieros, Pampa Cañahuas (the Vicuna National Reserve of Aguada Blanca), Vizcachani and Tojra, a good place for spotting Andean birds. The awesome volcanoes of Mismi (18,360 feet), Misti (right, 19,110 feet), Chachani (19,930 feet), and the glaciers Ampato (20,630 feet), Sabancaya (9,606 feet) and Hualca Hualca (20,630 feet) offer panoramic views as you enter the Colca Valley. After a 4-hour drive you arrive to Chivay, Colca's most important town where you have lunch. In the afternoon you will have a chance to relax in La Calera hot springs, located in a beautiful, open-air setting (indoor swimming pool also available). Then you'll make a short stop to explore the picturesque town of Chivay and visit the local market. Overnight at your selected lodge.
Day 2: Colca Canyon Tour (El Cruz del Condor) - In the morning you will begin your search for the Condor, El Senor de los Andes. The “El Cruz del Condor” site is the best place to admire the Colca Canyon and the condors in flight. En route you will see the archaeological remains of the first terracing of the Collaguas people, and the stone terracing of the Incas. Afternoon return to Arequpa, or continue overland to Lake Titicaca. Or this trip may be extended another night. (B)


Lake Titicaca/Colca Canyon/Arequipa
3-Day Extension
Day 1:
Puno (Lake Titicaca) to Colca Canyon - This morning you will have a half-day tour to the Sillustani archeological site. This area was a burial ground for a sub-tribe of the Aymara Indians called the Colla, who were conquered by the Incas in the mid-fifteenth century. Sillustani is partially surrounded by Lake Umayo, offering visitors a beautiful landscape. After the tour you will be transferred overland to Colca Canyon. The transfer may be by public bus or private vehicle with a driver. (B)
Day 2: In Colca Canyon - Tour (B)
Day 3: Colca Canyon to Arequipa - Transfer to the aiprort for your continuing air service to either Lima, Cuzco or Lake Titiaca. Alternatively you can extend your stay with an excursion to the Colca Canyon. (B)