World’s 2nd Largest Canyon – Colca Canyon, Peru
I’ve written about the Grand Canyon and I think it’s fairly safe to say most people know the Grand Canyon is huge. When I heard there was a place in Cabaconde, Peru that had a canyon home to the endangered Andean condor and was twice as big as the Grand Canyon, we were on a bus there.
Colca Canyon lays in Southern Peru, about 100 miles/ 160 kilometers northwest of Arequipa. At a depth of 13,605 feet/ 4160 meters, it is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. This is a place worth visiting and two studying dentist that we meet, Mike and Luke, thought the same thing. Mike and Luke are two American’s from Wisconsin, almost (!!) done with dentistry school and were in Peru for school holidays. Our travel routes over lapped and we agreed to hike the canyon together.
We all rose before 6 am to have an early breakfast to try and beat the heat as much as possible. After this dog licked Luke’s leg while did our final gear checks, we were ready to go.
We started hiking, leaving the picturesque town Cabanaconde behind.
The four of us at the start. Marcus, from our hostal (see info at end of post) told us there would be a guy there insisting to see our entry tickets. I guess this guy can be very persistent and Marcus does not like him. He jokingly said we should throw him over the cliff.
The guy wasn’t there, so it felt a bit anti-climatic as we didn’t have to have a (presumably) intense interaction, nor try to throw someone into the canyon, so we quietly walked on.
Here was a little look out at the top. I think it would have taken seven frames to fit the scenery into a panoramic shot.
For so long, we could see the trail in the middle that would eventually descend to our sleeping spot for the night.
Had it not been necessary to keep moving, I think I could have sat all day and watched the clouds blanket the rolling mountains with their shadows.
I dared not get any closer, but that is my foot at the edge of the trail with the river below.
This canyon was a place for one to feel small.
A few sections were sketchy enough they warranted the extra ‘no’ to keep tourist on the correct path.
This massive section of rock reminded me of a giant organ. As we stood below we could hear the music as the wind gently blew across the crevices, dried leaves crunched as they rolled across the rocks and blades of hardy grass rubbed together.
When I look at pictures like this, it’s no wonder locals think tourist have to be the funniest kinds of people to watch.
It was hot. Very hot. Mike and Luke didn’t bring hats and the sun was just brutal.
This was Mike in one of the many styles he tried to wear to keep the sun from burning his head.
Luke tried to resort to wearing the bottom of his pant leg.
This was an impression of Monty Python’s movie line of, “You shall not pass.”
In the morning after we started hiking together and people took off their long sleeved shirts, we realized all three guys were wearing blue t-shirts and brown pants.
A typical hostal sign at the bottom.
At least one of us wasn’t wearing a blue t-shirt.
Covering half of this mountain, this giant field of cactus seemed endless.
I don’t know if I’ve ever been so mesmerized to stare a hill side of cactus.
When we got to the bottom, the accommodations were surrounded by beautiful flowers. It felt like a secret world existing down there, except it isn’t a secret. There are hundreds of people in small villages contently living their lives in this unique and beautiful place.
I couldn’t get over how many flowers were maintained at the Oasis lodging we stayed at.
Talk about relaxing!
This was our backdrop for the night.
And there was a pool! We had no idea this was at the bottom.
Sadly enough, we had to leave behind our little oasis.
And that road! We contemplated staying another day because I wanted to walk that road so badly.
It’s so hard to see, even while we were standing there in person, but below the red ‘x’ was a truck.
With a pretty easy climb, we were out of the canyon.
The four of us at the top.
Hiking Colca Canyon not only offered a chance to hike down to the bottom of this awesome landscape, but also see how all these small villages created their lives down there. We passed so many happy, smiling people who were so pleased to greet us. Colca Canyon was a completely unique hiking experience and worth the time it takes to get out to the canyon.
If you go:
From which ever direction you are coming, try to catch the 4-M Bus to Chivey. Chivey was one of the cutest towns to see. The bus we took was connected to a hostal that let us store our bags and go off and explore the town for the day. If you are looking for a nice, quiet town to recharge in, Chivey would be a great place to do so.
Catch the collectivo bus from the station (around 5pm was the time we got it) ($5 sole)
Stay in Cabaconde at Pachamama Hostal. This place is clean, comfortable and friendly. Marcus is very helpful in helping travelers plan an independent trip down the canyon.
There’s a surprising number of hostal-type accommodations at the bottom. Most are nothing too flash and don’t go if you are afraid of spiders (we also had a scorpion in our room – but it was no worries, the scorpion slept on the wall all night and we slept in the bed – it was a peaceful agreement), but there’s a bed, roof, food and the fact that you are at the bottom of this awesome canyon (and didn’t have to carry all your own gear) trumps all. We stayed at Oasis and were happy there.
When you’re (sadly) ready to leave Cabaconde, ask Marcus about booking the ‘tourist bus’ out of town. We paid $27 sole, where as the normal bus fare was $25 sole. This bus stopped at some local villages, hot springs, allowed us the time to get off the bus to buy lunch and we had a comfortable seat. Taking this bus option was by far way more comfortable and allowed for good sight seeing out the window as opposed to the over crowed regular bus.
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Another WOW! The canyon seems huge and what a mountain of cactus! Is most of the bottom as fertile as it looks in the pics?
Thanks! Colca Canyon was so awesome. The bottom (in certain parts) was really that fertile. We were all worried we might get too cold down there. When we were told it was nice, warm, like an oasis, we thought there might be something being lost in translation, but it really was! What an amazing little world down there. So thankful we got to experience it.
So magical looking, loved the pictures!
I love the sign that says no. Just in case you were thinking about it.