colca canyon: trekking the second deepest canyon in the world

Colca Canyon. The second deepest canyon in the world (only slightly shallower than the nearby Cotahuasi Canyon). At its deepest, 4160m/13640ft, which is almost twice the depth of the Grand Canyon.

One of the top tourist attractions in Peru for good reason – it is absolutely beautiful!

While Colca Canyon is a tourist attraction based out of Arequipa, it is nearly 100 miles northwest of it. This means, you guessed it, an early wake up call. Chivay is a town at about the midway point which is most likely where you will be begin and end your trip.

Visiting the Colca Canyon can be done either by van or by foot. While you can see the famous Andean condor (the famous spot of Cruz del Condor) and take in the views both ways, I highly recommend seeing it by foot. You also have the option of trekking it alone, or with a tour (2/3/4 day options) – I opted for the 2 day tour.

From Arequipa, it is about a four hour drive to Colca Canyon (so keep that in mind if you are doing a one day van tour… it’s a long day!). If you do it with a tour, you’ll stop about halfway there for breakfast. Realize that it is a South American breakfast aka stale bread, butter, jam, and smallest amount of eggs – so you’ll want to have some snacks with you! By around 8am/9am, you’ll reach the town of Chivy to start your trek. You’ll have about 45 minutes to change (it was really warm weather for me!) and buy snacks/hats/walking sticks/etc if you want.

Along the drive to the start of the hike, you’ll stop at Cruz del Condor for about an hour to watch the Andean condors (largest flying bird!) soar overhead. It wasn’t prime season while I was there, but even seeing a few was insane to see!

Then – begins the steep downhill. It being the second deepest canyon is no joke – you are hiking straight down to the bottom… not so easy on the knees. However, once you reach the bottom, there are a couple different options to stop for lunch at a local spot (fair warning, small portion, but tasty). From there, you’ll head back uphill, then back down, till you spot Oasis Sangalle. Sweating and spotting those pools will make you walk real fast down to your home for the night!

The accommodation is basic, but you just need a place to sleep. No pressure, you just need to walk straight up out of the canyon the next day.

From Oasis Sangalle, it is about a 2-3 hour hike out of Colca Canyon to the town of Chivay. 2-3 hours sounds super manageable, but it was actually somewhat hell. It is allll uphill. Steep uphill. I’m talking not even one small section that is level! Not saying this to sound conceited, but I almost never get sore after hiking… my calves felt that incline for two days! (Kind of makes me want to take back my statement of uphill always being better than downhill).

things to know:

getting there: if going with a tour, they will pick you up (be prepared… it is at 3am!), if doing the Colca Canyon on your own, you will need to catch a bus to Chivay (which start at 6am from Arequipa)

cost: tours cost about S/ 120 ($37) which includes all transport, accommodation, and food… but not the entrance fee – S/ 70 ($22)

when to visit: the prime season is May-November. Yet again, I am visiting out of season, but again, I was lucky with the weather. The prime time to see the condors is between March and June

what to bring:

• day pack
• long sleeve and pants (for evening)
• swim suit
• headlamp
• water – it is really hot so bring plenty of water as it’s expensive to buy!
• snacks – there are a couple “markets” (as my guide called them) if you need

If you’ve been to Colca Canyon, what did you think? Did your knees survive?