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 |