First Day: We will pick you up at the hotel in Arequipa in our private transport at 5:00 am then we will take the north exit of the city and will pass through the town of Yura. Later we will reach the Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve where we will take breakfast including the famous coca tea, very recommended to avoid altitude sickness. On the way to Colca will observe South American camelids such as vicuñas, llamas and alpacas. After 2:30 hours of driving from Arequipa we will arrive to Patapampa, (highest viewpoint) located at 4910 m.a.s.l (highest point) will enjoy a spectacular landscape of the volcanic mountain range and we will admire many volcanoes such as Ampato, Sabancaya (active), Hualca Hualca, Mismi, Misti and Chachani volcanoes.
Upon reaching the Colca Valley, we will cross to the right bank of the Colca River, which is very quiet because most of the excursions are carried out only on the left bank where the Cruz del Condor viewpoint is located. We start on the right side of the Colca River because we are heading towards the town of Madrigal, from where we will start the trek to the pre- Inca fortress of Chimpa.
On the way along the right bank of the Colca Valley we will pass through the traditional towns of Lari, Ichupampa and Madrigal, where fertile fields with pre-Inca terraces can be seen, far removed from the noise of buses and tourist groups. In these towns it is common to see the inhabitants who carry out the agricultural work that is part of their routine. At noon we will have a picnic in the middle of the mountains and after a break we will continue the trip until we reach the foothills of Cerro Chimpamayo.
In order to access the Chimpa fortress we will hike for approximately 3 hours (2 hours up and 1 hour back), from 3200m to 3780m, which is the altitude of the Chimpa fortress. This archaeological complex is a cultural legacy that is part of the history of Colca and is considered Cultural Heritage of the Nation. The main structure of the Chimpa is the great wall of about 40 meters long by 2 meters wide by 3 meters high, with a tunnel for a single person that does not exceed 60 cm. wide. It surrounds the ceremonial platform where there are colcas, stone models that reproduce terraces irrigation channels, in the manner of the Wari civilatazion, as well as tombs where textile remains, ceramics and cave paintings with agricultural scenes have been located; In addition to the cultural richness, the Chimpa fortress has a unique view of the Colca Canyon and with luck we will be able to observe the flight of some condors. Really a little known tourist attraction but worth visiting!
After visiting this interesting archaeological site we will continue our journey and cross the Colca River again back to the left bank of the Colca Valley passing by the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint until we reach the town of Cabanaconde, where the hotel is located. Dinner and overnight.
Second Day: Since the hotel is close to the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint (20 minutes) we can start our journey at 8:00 am and after breakfast we will visit the well-known Cruz del Cóndor, which is the most important place for bird watching these gigantic Andean birds, the condor usually flies early in the morning. After seeing the flight of the condors, we will walk for about 45 minutes from the condor viewpoint to the "Cruz del Cura" viewpoint. On this path will observe the Colca canyon and the other side of the Colca river, the one we visited the day before.
After the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint we have two options, the first is to visit the geyser located in Pinchollo village, and the second one is another trek which takes 1:30 hr - 2:30 hr walk to the pre-Inca citadel of Uyo Uyo. Option 1 is the visit to the Pinchollo geyser, which is a 45-minute drive along a dirt road from the mainroad that goes from Cruz del Cóndor to Chivay (then is only a 5-minute walk) and it is a permanent geyser, unlike most geysers, the Pinchollo geyser boils continuously reaching a temperature of up to 70 ° C . Option 2 is the visit to the citadel of Uyo Uyo, it requires a walk that can be from Yanque village square and takes 2:30 hr in total or it can be from the Uyo Uyo checkpoint, in this case the walk it takes only 1:30 hr in its entirety. The Uyo Uyo archaeological complex comprises an occupation from the time of the kingdoms and lordships with the presence of the Collagua 1300 AD. followed by an Inca presence (1400 AD) and finally the spanish occupation.
In both cases the return will be along the left bank of the Colca Valley, passing through the traditional towns of Pinchollo, Maca, Achoma and Yanque, on this route we will make stops at the Antahuilque, Choquetico and Wayrapunku viewpoints, will also visit the thermal baths of Yanque, very comforting, whose temperature ranges between 32 °C and 39 °C.
Of course, after the walks the appetite is whetted, and we will be able to taste typical dishes of the Arequipa cuisine. We will have a buffet lunch with the tastiest and most traditional dishes of the local gastronomy before returning to Arequipa or transfer from Chivay to Puno (upon request). For more information please send a message to infoperunatred@gmail.com or info@perunatred.com
