The condors
Wings over three metres.
Martin St-Amant (S23678) — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Colegota — CC BY-SA 2.5 es · world-wide-gifts.com — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Digital photo taken by Colegota and post-processed with The GIMP. — CC BY-SA 2.5 es
One of the deepest canyons in the world, about 3,270 metres deep, roughly twice the depth of the Grand Canyon, and some seventy kilometres long. Descendants of pre-Inca peoples still live in the valley, farming the ancient stone terraces on its slopes in small colonial villages. Its best-known spot is the Cruz del Cóndor lookout, where visitors wait in the morning for Andean condors, among the largest flying birds in the world, as they rise on warm air currents from the canyon floor and glide close overhead on wings spanning more than three metres. On the way from Arequipa, visitors pass a reserve where wild vicuña herds live and cross a mountain pass almost 4,900 metres up between volcanoes. The town of Chivay has hot springs where travellers relax in the evening. The best trip is two days with a night in the valley, as the one-day trip starts at three in the morning. Condors usually appear between eight and ten in the morning, more often in the dry season. Watch for altitude sickness on the high pass, and nights are very cold.
Wings over three metres.
On the canyon slopes.
An evening soak.
Cruz del Cóndor lookout, Colca Valley, about 160 km north-west of Arequipa; via the town of Chivay
Two is better: the one-day trip leaves at three in the morning and returns at night. A night in the valley allows the hot springs and an unhurried condor lookout in the morning.