Coastland: Matarani-Mollendo-Mejía & Tambo Valley
At 07:30 we will depart from Arequipa to the province of Islay, on this road will pass by farming valleys which will show how fertile can be the land in the middle of Arequipa's desert, all of these valleys located between the city and the beach have many different fields; like olives, quinoa, corn, onions, potatoes... and many fruit fields, but the most common fruit are grapes, thus the valleys are the pantries of food and Pisco of Arequipa city. If is not too late, in the way back to Arequipa we can visit a winery and taste some of the best Peruvian piscos.
It takes 2 hours to arrive to our first destination, Matarani, the principal harbor of Arequipa, where we will observe local wildlife such as guano birds, sea lions and pelicans.
Then we will visit Mollendo, it is a city in the beach, wich is considered historic spa of Arequipa.Visit the beaches and observe the most famous construction in Mollendo, the Forga Castle, that is a National Monument since November 9, 1987 then we will have lunch, of course the dishes are based on seafood, highlighting one famous and very Peruvian plate, ceviche, this dish was consumed in Peru since pre-Inca times, and nowadays it is part of the national identity, it is also considered a cultural patrimony of the nation, after this dish you will understand why we say that in the sea life is more tasty ... It’s finger licking good.
After lunch we will drive by the coast road next to the Pacific Ocean, to arrive to Mejia, this town is known as the "Pearl of the Pacific", and is an exclusive spa of Arequipa, not far from here is the National Sanctuary Lagunas de Mejia, which shows a great diversity of flora and fauna, is one of the best places in Peru for bird watching.
This is a National Sanctuary since 1984, here is possible to find 180 bird species, of which 84 are residents of the Peruvian coast and 57 migratory, or that are found in this area only at a certain time of year, in an effort to escape the harsh winter of other latitudes. Of these migratory birds, 17 reach Mejía from other parts of Peru, 4 from other countries in South America and 34 from North America.
National Sanctuary of Lagunas de Mejía is a set of wetlands that are areas of particular importance for the preservation of coastal flora and fauna.
The following after visiting the lagoons of Mejia, will be to return to Arequipa, but will visit the Tambo valley route, different road, where we will pass by rice and sugar cane fields, on the way we will visit the town square of Cocachacra, a cozy place , located in the agricultural zone of the Peruvian coast.
Arrive in Arequipa at 18.30 hr. Approximately.
Included:
Not Included:
What to bring:
