Colca Canyon & Arrequipa

v.e.r.b.a.l

Ok, quick question for those wise old south america travellers...

We´re in Cusco now after the Inca Trail, staying around til the 28th (so i can catch the Champion´s League final!!!) then we want to head onto do a trek in Colca Canyon and onto Arrequipa for a day or two. Next stop will be Puno, but I´ll figure that out later.

Any info on how to do Colca Canyon? Do you need a guide or can you do it on your own? Is it a camping trek over more than a day? Any recommendations?

Also, any idea how to get to Colca Canyon and then onto Arrequipa?

Thanks!

cailinoBAC

You can definitely do the colca canyon by yourself but we were tired after inca trail and did not have much time so we decided to do it with an agency and save the hassle. We went with Colonial Tours, I think it was. There was a choice of 3 day or 2 day, they were the same tour except the 3 day was spread out a bit. We chose the 2 day (€40) and were picked up at 2am (!!) to head to the canyon. There were a lot of guys doing a one day bus tour which seemed like our worst nightmare. We all had breakfast together, watched the condors, then the 5 of us and our guide were dropped off near Cabanaconde. You walk down, have lunch in a small village (everything there has had to be carried down by mule) and then walk along the canyon until you get to Sangalle. Some people were camping, so I suppose it depends on the agency, but were staying in little huts. The swimming pool was fantastic after all the walking. Our guide (very helpful) cooked dinner and we ate by candlelight. Then to bed because you have to get up about 4am the next morning. It's kind of annoying, all the early mornings, but you get over it. Also, it's a very steep climb, over 1000m so it's not a bad thing that you're doing it in the early morning rather than the midday heat. Then breakfast in Cabanaconde, bus to Chivay, where we went to the hot springs, then a bus back to Arequipa. It sounds kind of rushed, and some of it was, but once we got there on the first day (after trying to sleep under the blankets they gave us on the way) we didn't feel that at all. If you have more time, you could maybe go on your own and stay longer at 'Sangalle, though there aren't any actual restaurants there or anything. And it's really nice to get there after a day walking (only a few hours though if you head straight down from Cabanaconde) but might get a bit boring if you stay too long.

I don't know if you're able to get straight from Cusco to the Colca canyon, it just seemed like you had to go to Arequipa first, but I might be wrong.

v.e.r.b.a.l

yeah, thanks for that info!

from what i've figured out you can do it from Cusco but it's far more expensive. We're just finished the Inca Trail too so we've also decided to go with a guide from Arequipa. Our friends recommended Land Adventures, but we'll look at both in Arequipa. Sounds good. 1000m climb sounds tough, my poor legs don't know what's going on these days!!!

Is there another bus from Cusco to Arequipa besides Cruz Del Sur, cos they seem a bit expensive for a ten hour bus...?

Aurora Borealis

Yeah Land are good. They've a really comfortable hostel with hammocks on the roof too. I'd imagine the Point is probably better for partying as bigger but Bothy's (land's hostel) is right in town. Areiquipa is gorgeous. I totally loved it.

cailinoBAC

Not sure about other buses. We booked with Cruz del Sur but ended up having to fly out as the roads were blocked and one friend was only over for a few weeks. I'm sure there must be others though.