Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Colca. Lavish rooms come loaded with Noel Coward-esque dressing gowns, wood-burn-
ing stoves, candles, coffee machines and king beds, but the real carrot is the alfresco
thermal baths (37°C to 39°C) sculpted into whimsical pools aside the river. For advance
reservations, visit the
Arequipa office
( 054-20-2587, 054-20-3604; Benavides 201)
.
La Casa de Mamayacchi $$
(
www.lacasademamayacchi.com
;
d/tr incl breakfast from S192/250)
Hidden away down-
hill from the main plaza, this inn is built with traditional materials and resides over ter-
raced valley views. The cozy rooms have no TVs, but there's a games library, fireplace
and bar that make it sociable. Make advance reservations through the
Arequipa office
(
24-1206; Jerusalén 606)
.
INN
LARI
Sleepy Lari, 16km west of Corporaque on the north side of the river, has the canyon's
largest church. It is also a potential start point for the Source of the Amazon trek (
Click
hotel in the main square and a couple of bare-bones restaurants, but you're better off for-
ging on to Chivay or Cabanaconde for an overnighter.
MADRIGAL
Madrigal is the last village on the canyon's north side reachable by road (unpaved by this
point). Aside from its oversized church and scruffy digs at the
Hostal Municipalidad
(Plaza de Armas; r S12)
, Madrigal is a bucolic backwater perfect for a slow unflustered
digestion of traditional Colca life. You can forge west on foot from here to two nearby ar-
chaeological sites: the
Fortaleza de Chimpa
, a walled Collagua citadel atop a hill, and
the
Pueblo Perdido Matata
, some long-abandoned ruins.
PINCHOLLO
Pinchollo, about 30km from Chivay, is one of the valley's poorer villages. From here, a
trail climbs toward
Hualca Hualca
(a snowcapped volcano of 6025m) to an active geo-
thermal area set amid wild and interesting scenery. Though it's not very clearly marked,
there's a four-hour trail up to a bubbling geyser that used to erupt dramatically before a re-
cent earthquake contained it. Ask around for directions, or just head left uphill in the dir-
ection of the mountain, then follow the water channel to its end.