Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights & Activities
Astronomical Observatory
(Huayna Cápac; admission S25)
No light pollution equals excellent Milky Way vistas.
The Casa Andina hotel has a tiny observatory which holds nightly sky shows in Spanish
and English. The price includes a 30-minute explanation and chance to peer into the tele-
scope. It can be hard to catch a night with clear skies between December and April.
OBSERVATORY
THERMAL BATHS
La Calera Hot Springs
(admission S15; 4:30am-7pm)
If you've just bussed or driven in from Arequipa, a
good way to acclimatize is to stroll 3km to La Calera Hot Springs and examine the
canyon's slopes (surprisingly shallow at this end) alfresco while lying in the famous
pools. This isn't your average shopping mall spa (forget the pampering), but the water's
warm, the setting's idyllic and you'll be spontaneously entertained by the whoops of zip-
liners as they sail overhead.
Colectivos
from Chivay cost S1 to S2.
HIKING
Chivay is a good starting point for canyon hikes, both short and long. The view embel-
lished 7km path to Coporaque on the north side of the canyon starts on the north edge of
town. Fork left on the La Calera Hot Springs road, cross the Puente Inca, and follow the
fertile fields to the village. Rather than retracing your steps, you can head downhill out of
Coporaque past some small ruins and descend to the orange bridge across the Río Colca.
From Yanque, on the southern bank, passing buses or
colectivos
return the 7km to Chivay
(or you can walk along the road). For a quicker sojourn rent a mountain bike in Chivay (
Click here
)
.
To penetrate further west it's possible to continue on up the northern side of the canyon
from Coporaque to the villages
Ichupampa
,
Lari
and, ultimately,
Madrigal
. Occasional
combis
run to these villages from the streets around the main market area in Chivay.
Another option is to pitch northeast from near the Puente Inca and follow a path along the
river to the villages of Tuti and Sibayo.
ZIPLINING
You can dangle terrifyingly over the Río Colca while entertaining bathers in La Calera
Hot Springs (who relax below) doing the canyon's newest sport - ziplining. The start
point is just past La Calera Hot Springs, 3.5km from Chivay, but you can organize rides
with one of the agencies in town or directly with
Colca Zip-lining
( 95-898-9931;
www.colcaziplining.com
;
2/4 cables S50/100)
.
