Colca Canyon: Not the Deepest in the World, But Close Enough to Argue

The Colca Canyon in southern Peru is frequently described as the world’s deepest canyon. It isn’t - Cotahuasi Canyon, also in Peru, goes deeper. The more honest descriptor is that Colca is one of the deepest canyons on Earth, dropping more than 3,200 metres from the rim to the river below in certain sections, roughly twice the depth of the Grand Canyon. The distinction is academic when you’re standing on the rim.

The canyon stretches over 100 km through the Arequipa region, and the most commonly visited section runs from the colonial town of Chivay (3,600 metres altitude) westward to Cruz del Condor, the main condor viewing point. The route passes through a sequence of pre-Inca and Inca terrace villages where Quechua and Aymara communities still farm the terraced hillsides using irrigation systems that are centuries old.

Cruz del Condor

The overlook at Cruz del Condor is 45 km from Chivay by road, about an hour. Andean condors with wingspans approaching 3 metres use the thermal updrafts from the canyon walls to gain altitude with minimal wing-flapping. They typically begin appearing in the morning as the sun heats the canyon walls and thermals develop, between 08:00 and 10:00. On good days you can watch a condor from a few metres’ distance; the birds have no particular concern about human observers on the rim.

The dry season (May through October) gives the most reliable condor sightings and clear skies for the canyon views. The wet season (November through April) brings afternoon clouds and greener canyon vegetation; the birds are present but less reliably visible.

Hiking Into the Canyon

The Colca Canyon offers some of the best multi-day trekking in South America. The standard route descends from the canyon rim to the oasis village of Sangalle at the bottom (often called the Oasis), a vertical drop of about 1,200 metres on a trail that takes 4-6 hours down. Sangalle has a few guesthouses and pools. The return ascent is significantly harder and typically started at 03:00-04:00 to beat the midday heat on the exposed upper trail.

A guide is not required but highly recommended if you’re unfamiliar with high-altitude hiking; dehydration and altitude effects at 3,600+ metres can overtake people faster than they expect. Most tour operators in Chivay organise guided two-day canyon hikes.

Chivay and Altitude

Chivay at 3,635 metres is the base town. Altitude sickness affects some visitors seriously; the responsible approach is to spend at least one night in Arequipa (2,335 metres) before driving up to Chivay, and to take the first day at the canyon gently. The hot springs at La Calera, 4 km from Chivay, are the right way to spend the first afternoon: 38-42 degree thermal pools with canyon views. Entry around 15 soles.

Arequipa, 160 km south and three to four hours by road or bus, is the practical hub. Direct buses depart Arequipa’s terminal terrestre for Chivay through the morning. The altiplano scenery on the drive - volcanos, lagoons with flamingos, vicuna grazing alongside the road - is itself worth the journey.