FIRST DAY:
8:00am pick up from your hotel in Arequipa (2325 m.s.l.). We will take the highway to Yura, first passing through Pampa de Arrieros and Pampa Canahuas where we will see vicuñas, llamas, alpacas, and migratory birds along the way. We will continue to Viscachani where you will enjoy some Coca tea to help with the altitude. From here we will continue the trip viewing tokras, ponds, wetlands, and perhaps some flamingos and ibis.
Finally, we’ll arrive at Patapampa Pass (4900 m.s.l.), the highest point on our journey, and known as the volcano viewpoint. From here we’ll see a chain of volcanoes that include Hualcahualca, Sabancalla, and Ampato, the famous volcano where the Inca mummy Juanita (viewable in Arequipa) was sacrificed over 500 years ago.
From Patapampa Pass we will descend to the town of Chivay (3646 m.s.l.), the capital of the Colca Canyon region, where you will have lunch and spend the night.
In the afternoon you have the option to visit the Calera Hot Springs for about 2 hours. The thermal bath’s medicinal waters reach temperatures of around 40ºC (104ºF) and are wonderful for helping sooth physical ailments.
In the evening you will have dinner in Chivay with entertainment provided by a traditional folk group.