Arequipa & Colca Canyon Tour
Four day extension (extended itineraries are available)
Transfer to the airport for flight to Arequipa, renowned as one of Peru’s most beautiful cities. Reception in Arequipa and transfer to the Hotel Casa Andina, or similar, for the overnight. The city has many colonial-era Spanish buildings built of sillar, a pearly white volcanic rock, from which it gets the nickname La Ciudad Blanca ("The White City"). The colonial center of Arequipa was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, in recognition of its architecture and historic integrity. Bordered by various arched walkways and the Cathedral, the Main Square possesses a beautiful bronze fountain of three plates crowned by the figure of a sixteenth century soldier. (B)
Day 2:
Private transportation and specialist guide for travel to Colca Canyon. This is one of the deepest places on the planet, reaching a depth of 3400 meters / 11.155 feet at the lowest point in the location of Canco. On the right side, it is flanked by the Chila Cordillera (Bomboya, Serpregrina, Mismi, Queshihua) and on the other by Mount Hualca Hualca, Sabancaya, and Ampato. You can seeMountUbinas and beautiful MountCoropuna in the distance. There is an early departure towards the highlands passing through Yura-Pampa Cañahuas and La Pulpera with good possibility of observing groups of wild vicuñas and fighting cattle. Stop en route to see petroglyphs in the Caves of Mollepunco and in the town of Callali to see natural hill formations with the appearance of enchanted castles. Overnight at the Colca Lodge. (B)
Day 3:
To maximize your probability of seeing condors we depart very early towards the "Cross of the Condor" at about an altitude of 15,000 feet. Drive a little further in to the canyon to see some pre-Inca ruins and watch the way of life in this remote land. Return to Chivay for lunch and afternoon return to Arequipa. Overnight at Casa Andina. (B)
Day 4:
City tour including the Santa Catalina Convent. Located in the center of Arequipa, Santa Catalina is the pride of its townspeople, covering an area of more than seven acres square meters. It is a masterpiece of colonial architecture, and houses some of the finest examples of Spanish American religious art. Founded in 1580 under the rule of Viceroy Toledo, the Private Monastery of Nuns of the Order of Santa Catalina of Sena was opened to the world nearly 400 years later, in 1970. Since then, visitors have been able to stroll through the streets and cloisters that during colonial times were the refuge of female nobility who had decided to shut themselves away from the world and dedicate themselves entirely to prayer. Possibly because of their aristocratic background and the wealth of their families, the monastery was decorated with valuable works painted by the Quito and Cuzco Schools, including many others signed by grand masters from Italy and Spain, while special attention was paid to the finishings of the buildings. The main square, whose gates still preserve the magic of their fine finishings and images carved from wood, features a fountain brought from Spain and crafted entirely from granite. The ochre and blue colors of its streets and patios -named after Spanish cities- are decorated with bright flowers such as scarlet geraniums.Afternoon transfer to airport for flight to Lima for late night flights out - or reception in Lima and transfer into town to the colonial-style, Hotel Antigua Miraflores for the overnight. (B)
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