Colca Canyon

Chivay comes into view	Valle del Colca - left (south) rim	Road to the south rim, Valle del Colca	Cactus along the Colca Canyon road
Village of Yanque with Hualca Hualca (6025m/19,767 ft), the first of the south rim villages	Iglesia de la Purisima Concepcion, Yanque	Yanque's pretty plaza and 18th Century church	Plaza and church of Yanque
Getting ready for the tourist arrivals, Yanque	Iglesia de la Purisima Concepcion, Yanque	Bell tower, Church of the Immaculate Conception, Yanque	Church, Plaza and Mountain, Yanque
Northern portal, Yanque	Iglesia de la Purisima Concepcion, Yanque	Juan Baptista, Yanque, restored 2002	Bell tower of Iglesia de la Purisima Concepcion, Yanque
Ornate western portal, colonial church of Yanque	Detail of the western facade, Yanque	The interior of the colonial church at Yanque is still undergoing restoration (2008)	South rim road leaving Yanque, Valle del Colca
Archway and the entrance to the south rim village of Achoma	Colonial church of Achoma, Valle del Colca	Municipalidad Distrital Achoma on the small plaza	Terraced fields, Colca Valley
Terraced fields, Valle del Colca	Young girl in a colorful costume posing with a baby alpaca	...I normally don't approve of this type of thing....	...but they're sooooo cute!
Colonial church of the village of Maca, Valle del Colca	Church and plaza, Maca	Eastern facade of the colonial church of Maca	Uninspiring buildings around the plaza of Maca
Valle del Colca, Peru	Cactus, Valle del Colca	Tunnel, south rim road, Valle del Colca	Stone cairns at an overlook, Valle del Colca
Tunnel overlook, Colca River	From here, the valley gets narrower and deeper, entering the Colca Canyon	Cactus and the Colca River	Tunnel, south rim road, Colca Canyon
The light at the end of the tunnel, Colca	Lots of dust kicked up from the dirt road	South rim road and tunnel, Colca Canyon	Terraced fields around the Colca Valley
Colca Canyon and the south rim road	Terraced fields on the Colca Valley floor	Colca Canyon	A bit like organ-pipe cactus, Colca Valley
Cactus, mountain and blue sky, Valle del Colca	Succulents, Colca Valley	Looking back along the south rim, Valle del Colca	The start of Colca Canyon far below
PeruJun08 3510.jpg	Geiser...not sure if that's actually pointing to a geyser, but with all the volcanoes I wouldn't be surprised	South rim road, Colca Canyon	Colca Canyon Visitor's Center
Valle del Colca	Landscape with cactus, Colca Valley	Marcos and the dusty Suzuki	South rim road, Colca Canyon
Colca Canyon	Desert landscape, Colca	Large organ pipe type cactus, South rim, Colca Canyon	Cactus, Colca Canyon
Cactus, Colca Canyon	Cattle and cactus, Colca Canyon	Cactus, Colca Canyon	Getting to the deep section, Colca Canyon
Mirador Cruz del Condor on the far ridge	Andean Condor arriving right on scheule around 10 am	Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon	Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) in flight, Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon
Andean Condor in flight	Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) in flight, Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon	Andean Condor in flight	Mirador Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon
Mirador Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon	Mirador Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon	Full grown Condors have a wingspan of up to 10 feet	A full grown Andean Condor weighs up to 33 lbs
Soaring Andean Condor, Colca Canyon	Supposedly, the Condors appear every morning for several hours at Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon	Cruz del Condor also has some of the best views of the deep sections of Colca Canyon	Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon
Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon	Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon	Andean Condor roosting along the cliff below Cruz del Condor	Upper mirador, Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon
The Colca River 1200m below Cruz del Condor	Colca Canyon	Condor in flight, Colca Canyon	Condor in flight, Cruz del Condor
Condor in flight, Cruz del Condor	Condor in flight, Cruz del Condor	Condor in flight, Cruz del Condor	Condor in flight, Cruz del Condor
Condor taking a look at me....	Andean Condor in flight, Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon	Close-up of an Andean Condor in flight	Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon
Cruz del Condor, Colca Canyon	Cactus, Colca Canyon	Caņon del Colca - Cruz del Condor	Stone cross, Cruz del Condor
Cruz del Condor, Caņon del Colca	Colca Canyon	Indigenous women waiting for tourists, Cruz del Condor	By noon they pack up and go home
Lower mirador, Cruz dle Condor	Souvenir sellers at Cruz del Condor	There are several small villages on the north side of the canyon	Cactus, Cruz del Condor
Several hiking paths descend into the canyon	Colca Canyon	Switchback trail leading to Sangalle along the river on the canyon floor	Tapay and the village on the north rim, accessible by trekking only
Mirador de Tapay, Colca Canyon	Marcos, Mirador de Tapay, Colca Canyon	Marcos, the guide from Arequipa	Cabanaconde, Colca Canyon
I wanted to drive farther along the south rim to see if there were any more good viewpoints	Roadside cross, Colca Canyon	Horses near Cabanaconde	Cactus with Cabanaconde in the distance
Dirt road leading to a canyon rim overlook	Switchback trail leading up the north side of Colca Cayon	Sangalle, the "oasis" at the bottom of the canyon	Colca Canyon
Cactus, Valle del Colca	Colca Canyon, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon	4x4 trail leading from Cabanaconde to the valley floor	Cabanaconde
Colca Canyon from the mirador near Cabanaconde	Gateway to Cabanaconde	Cabanaconde	Colonial church of Cabanaconde
Cabanaconde church	Cabanaconde church	Plaza de Armas, Cabanaconde	Condor monument, Plaza of Cabanaconde
Kunturwassi Colca Hotel looks like a more interesting hotel to stay in that the one in Chivay	Kunturwassi Colca hotel, Cabanaconde	Fields around Cabanaconde	Colca Canyon, Cabanaconde
Dirt road, Valle del Colca	Road to the canyon floor	...if we had more time, that looks like an interesting road down into the canyon	We didn't have time, so we stuck with the high road beyond Cabanaconde
Colca Canyon	Colca Canyon	Donkeys, Colca Canyon	Colca Canyon
Peruvian cowboy, Colca Canyon	Turned around, headed back past Cabanaconde and Cruz del Condor to cross the Colca bridge	Snowy peak near Cabanaconde	Colca Canyon
Colca Canyon	Colca Canyon	Back at Mirador Cruz del Condor - deserted in the afternoon	Bus travelling on the south rim road
Mirador Cruz del Condor	Marcos, Cruz del Condor	Marcos, Mirador Cruz del Condor	Mirador Cruz del Condor
Colca Canyon from Cruz del Condor	Deep section of Colca Canyon	A small lizard	Mirador Cruz del Condor early afternoon, devoid of tourists...and condors
Colca River from Cruz del Condor	Mirador Cruz del Condor	Colca Canyon, Cruz del Condor	Colca Canyon, Cruz del Condor
Colca River at the bottom of Colca Canyon	Colca River at the bottom of Colca Canyon	Marcos...".where are you going?"	Interesting plant, Valle del Colca
Eastbound on the south rim road, Colca Canyon	Donkey, south rim road, Colca Canyon	Small lake, south rim road, Colca Canyon	Small lake, Colca Canyon
Snowy peak, Valle del Colca	Hualca Hualca, Valle del Colca	A south rim village whose name I missed...Pinchollo?	Lari, a north rim village, Colca Canyon
Colca Canyon	Passing back through the south rim tunnel	Terraced fields, Colca Canyon	Incan and pre-Incan terraces, Valle del Colca
Colca River, Valle del Colca	Road leading to the Puente Maca Lari across the Colca River	Incan and pre-Incan terraces, Valle del Colca	Incan and pre-Incan terraces, Valle del Colca
Valle del Colca, Rio Colca	Colca River with terraced fields, Colca Valley	Centuries-old terraced fields, Colca Valley	Valle del Colca
Colca River, Valle del Colca	Colca River	Colca River	Colca River, terraced fields, Valle del Colca
Crossing the Puente Maca Lari, Colca Canyon	North rim, Valley del Colca	North rim, Valley del Colca	Looking across the Colca Valley to the south rim
Lari, a village on the north rim, Colca Valley	Colonial church and plaza, Lari	North rim, Colca Canyon	North rim road, eastbound from Lari, Colca Canyon
Another village church on the north rim, Ichupampa	Upscale Colca Lodge on the north bank of the Colca River	Colca Lodge	Another nice looking hotel near Colca Lodge on the south rim
Colca Lodge	Colca River	Terraced fields on the North Rim, Colca Canyon	Pedestrian bridge across the Colca River
Colca Canyon near Coporaque, north rim	Church of Coporaque, north rim	Plaza de Armas, Coporaque, Colca Canyon north rim	Hotel Ccamile, Coporaque
Valle del Colca - Margen Derecha (right bank, north rim)	Chivay	Cross on a mountain above Chivay	Tourist market, Productors del Colca, Chivay
Plaza de Armas of Chivay, the largest town in the Colca Valley	Plaza de Armas, Chivay	Two old woman chatting on a park bench, Chivay	Gate to Chivay
Chivay	Chivay - on the road to Arequipa