The Colca Canyon is a part of Peru that offers stunning scenery and one of the best opportunities to see condors in the wild. Originally, the Collaguas and the Cabanas, who were an industrious and prosperous people, inhabited the area and the terraces throughout the canyon indicate their agricultural and architectural skills. The Colca Canyon runs for over 100km, and the average distance from the peaks of the mountains to the river below is 3,400m.
The most visited part of the Colca Canyon is the Cruz Del Condor, where the condors glide by on the thermals rising from the canyon. It is for the condors that many tourists visit the canyon, and there can be few places in the world that offer the chance to see these birds at such close quarters. The condor nests in the steep cliff-faces around the Cruz Del Condor. The condor is the heaviest flying bird in the world, and can weigh up to 12kg. Its wingspan is often in excess of three meters. The best months to see the condors are from May to November.
Arequipa and the Colca Canyon
