Following our adventure-filled stay at Cusco, we took an overnight bus to Arequipa which departed at 8.30 PM and arrived around 7 AM. Tickets for the more comfortable VIP seat that reclines further back cost 60 PEN1 each. The Cusco terminal also has a usage fee of 1.40 PEN. If you take a taxi/Uber2 to the terminal, then the taxi entrance fee is 1.30 PEN. It’s a fairly smooth ride to Arequipa and we were able to get some sleep overnight. Our hotel in Arequipa was next to the Santa Catalina Monastery. We took a 15 minute Uber from the bus terminal which cost 10 PEN.
The City and Finding Tours
Our room wasn’t ready so we dropped off our bags at the hotel and then went to the Plaza de Armas to look for tours. A visit to the Colca Canyon was a must for us and we were presented with several options. A 1-day, 2-day or 3-day tour. The 1-day tour seemed too rushed and the 3-day tour looked great, but we wanted to leave our third day in Arequipa for another activity. So we went for the 2-day tour with a trekking option. For our third day, we decided to do a rafting tour. Once we reserved the tours, we went for a walk around the city and found the central market so we had some lunch there. We then went to the Aventura Mall to grab some snacks and water for the 2-day Colca Canyon tour. At around 3 PM, we headed back to the hotel to get our room. We got some rest before heading out for a quick walk in the evening. Since we were going to be picked up around 3 AM the next day, we went to bed early to rest up before the trek. The city of Arequipa is quite small and beautiful. It also has quite a good nightlife which we explored when we returned from the Colca Canyon tour.
Colca Canyon - Day 1
We were picked up from our hotel at around 3 AM. The tour bus then made stops at other hotels to pick up other people before making our way to the Colca Canyon. We stopped at a small town for breakfast around 8 AM and reached the viewpoint at Cruz del Condor at around 9.30 AM. At this viewpoint, you get the chance to see some Andean condors in flight. You’ll need a camera with a telephoto lens zoom to get a good close up picture. If you don’t get lucky enough to catch some condors, the viewpoint offers great landscape views of the canyon. After about 30 minutes at the viewpoint, the tour bus then takes us to the starting point of the trek which is about a 20-minute drive from the viewpoint. Day 1 of the trek is pretty straightforward since its all downhill. In total it’s about 3-hours 30-minutes of trekking and everyone walks together with the guide in front. The guide breaks the walks up into 20-30 minutes each and gives info on the canyon and vegetation in the breaks. At around 1 PM, we made a stop for lunch.
The lunch spot is shortly after reaching the bottom of the canyon and crossing the river. We had about 1-hour 30-minutes for lunch before continuing to the oasis lodge. In this last leg of the trek, there is a small stall where you can buy snacks and water. At the end of the trek, you cross the river again and the oasis lodge is a short walk from there. We reached the lodge at around 4.30 PM. Rooms were allocated based on the groups we came in. If you came solo, they’ll pair you up with another solo traveler. The guide then tells us dinner will be served at 6 PM so until then, we have time to shower, rest, and use the pool. The rooms were quite basic and there is no power socket, so make sure you take a portable charger. There are 2 showers and these are shared by everyone so we took a shower before resting or heading to the pool. Also, there are no lights in the showers, so take a flashlight. The pool has a bar and some seating area. The water was a little chilly so we didn’t get in and just rested by the pool for a bit. At 6 PM we then moved to the dining area for dinner. After dinner, the guide gave us instructions for the next day to be ready at 5 AM to begin the trek up the canyon. He said some flashlights were available but we could also use our phones. He also mentioned that this trek was a lot more difficult, and if you’re worried you can’t make it up, you could hire a mule. After the talk, you can head for bed or stay until around 8-9 PM in the dining area which had lights. We stuck around and played some card games with other travelers. Once the lights were out, we then went to bed to rest up for the early morning trek.
Colca Canyon - Day 2
It was quite a chilly night at the lodge and we were up at around 4.30 AM to get ready to leave at 5 AM. We waited at the meeting point for about 10 minutes for everyone to turn up. The guide said it would take about 3 hours to trek up and for this one, we could go at our own pace since there is only one route and can’t get lost. The trek up starts at around 2100 meters ending at 3200 meters and is exhausting. It’s quite cold in the early hours but as the sun comes out, it starts to get hot. The sun comes up at around 6 AM and you get great views of the canyon at sunrise. Once at the top, there’s an area to rest and sit under some shade. We waited for about 20-30 minutes for the rest of the group to arrive. Next, it’s a short 20-minute walk to the town of Cabanaconde for breakfast. Along the way, we come across a viewpoint for some pre-Inca terraces.
Once we’re done with breakfast, the tour bus then takes us to the hot springs near the town of Yanque. Entrance to the hot springs costs 15 PEN. This is optional though and you can choose to chill by the river. The river water is freezing whilst the water in the thermal baths can reach 38 degrees. From the thermal baths, there’s access to the river for people to jump in after getting out of the hot springs. We’re given about an hour here before heading for lunch in Chivay where we’re taken to a buffet-style restaurant. This is optional and you can choose to go elsewhere. The buffet cost 30 PEN each and was very good. Next, we begin the journey back to Arequipa and make a stop at the viewpoint ‘Mirador de Los Andes‘. This is a viewpoint of all the surrounding mountains and volcanos. You can also take a picture with llamas/alpacas that the locals bring here. We arrived back at Arequipa at around 5 PM and the tour bus leaves everyone at their hotels or the Plaza de Armas.
