"Colca" a Colca Travel Page by carlitoab

I'm not usually a fan of package deals but when in Arequipa it's well worth getting one to the conyon. It was around $25 per person and was well worth the money. Colca is a good 4 hour drive from Arequipa - not the most comfortable drive but very very scenic - compares to nothing I've ever seen. Valleys with such rugged landscape - made me imagine I'm in Middle Earth!

Forgive me for not remembering the name of the village we arrived in but anyway, it was a quaint little village with natural hot springs and some amazing little real peruvian cafes. It is essential to get a good night's sleep before waking to see the Condors. I should also say, the key to sleeping is to stay warm so take some extra thermal clothing - Peru is a country of extremes. On my homepage you can see me with an Eagle on my arm, this shot was taken at the village I speak of. For those of you wanting to purchase some authentic Peruvian clothing, crafts etc... Small villages are far cheaper than the cities.

You don't have to be an ornothologist to appreciate condors, I have forgetten their vital statistics but they have the widest wing span of any of the birds. A truly amazing feat of nature. To see them, morning is the only window of opportunity as the like to glide in the morning to pick up some of the sun's heat on their large wings. This involves waking early to be on the bus by around 6am, once again the journey's very scenic but once you arrive and see the bird - it's all worthwhile. Forget the grande canyon too, this one is over twice as deep!