Features

• Duration  : 4 days
  
• Difficulty  : Normal
  
• Traditional Festivals : 4th of May (anniversary of Cotahuasi 2600m.o.w.l.)
  
• Geographic Region : Province of the Union, with the Cotahuasi village as    capital

The cotahuasi canyon is 12000 feet  deep and the grand canyon is 6000 feet deep. Welcome to the one of the deepest canyon in the world.

We leave Arequipa at 5 am to start the 380 km ride in our 4x4 truck, heading in the direction of “petroglifos de toro muerto” which is located in the Corire district, about 3 hours from Arequipa. This is where there are around 5000 stones with engravings to be seen. These engravings are dated between 700 and 800 a.Chr. which the Wari culture is.

An excursion to this place will be done to explore the numerous stones and rocks with their different meanings.

Continuing to the Valley of Majes, we will be passing by rice cultivations and vineyards of this region. This is how we pass the village of Chuquibamba, which is known for its cheese and avocado. Here we have the option to visit a little museum of the local pre-Inca- culture “Pachanas”.

After we have passed Chuquibamba, we will enter an area of 4700m.o.w.l where there is an amazing view over the snowy Coropuna (6425m.ow.l).

Just behind the lagoon of Pallarcocha starts a magnificent landscape that is representative for the south Peruvian Andes. It is important to say that the snowy Coropuna is the highest volcano of Peru. For the old Incas, it used to be an “apu” the most important holy mountain in the south of Peru.

At the end of this day, we will arrive in Cotahuasi (2600m.o.w.l) after about a 10h ride.

Cotahuasi is the capital of the Union and this is where we will spend the night in a local hostal.

Important: Cotahuasi is a tourist destination away from the city of Arequipa.
That's why there are very few tourists.
In Cotahuasi canyon, the services are very limited and very basic : restaurants and hotels.

For example when we eat in the restaurants , we found only local people. Food is basic; you eat the same options of a local person in cotahuasi village.

The hotels-hostels do not have heating, ventilation, sometimes no hot water.

Obviously we will try to provide you the best.

Please do not wait for this tour high class hotels and gourmet food.

This tour is especially for people who do not want to see tourists on the tour, visit some of the deepest canyons in the world.

This trek is mostly desert, but there is a geological richness to be observed. The climate will be rather hot, as the region is not high above sea level (around 2000m).

After breakfast we will continue by truck, crossing the Cotahuasi River over the bridges of Cuyao and Sipia waterfall.

We will Visit the waterfall of Sipia with its 150m cascade. It is amazing to watch and listen to the battle roaring between water and rocks, as the water with its erosive powers step by step washes the rock away, creating an enormous gorge with a depth of 3535m. Here it is worth mentioning that Colca Canyon has a depth of 4120m, therefore Cotahuasi is 3535m deeper!

After observing the waterfalls we will go to by our transport we will cross the Oasi of chaupo. On our way there we will pass by some fantastic countryside, including the red canyon that receives its name from its red stone colour, called arcilla.

The we continue to by transport to Velinga village.

Before arrive to Velinga we leave the transport and we trek to Velinga village 45 mi. trek, here we take the lunch.

Then you can trek in direction to Quechualla village , we will don´t arrive to quechualla.

you can trek here , from 2-4 hours. We spend the nigh in Velinga village in tents or in local families.

The temperature here oscillates between 25 - 30 degrees.

If you don´t like to trek , you can stay in Velinga and enjoy this village.

In the morning after breakfast we start our 40.min. hike to the transport, where our truck will be waiting to take us to the Valley of Volcanoes.

On this day we will be passing close by snowy Coropuna. After a 4 hours ride we will arrive in the Valley of Volcanoes. we visit the Mirador of the volcanoes and we do small trek : We climb to the top of one of the small volcanoes.

where we will spend the night in a basic hotel. ( family home)

After spend a night in Cotahuasi and for if fo you was basic , spend this night in Andagua (valley of volcanoes) is really basic, Andagua village is visited by only 200 tourists every year.

On this day we will pass a region of 4700m.o.w.l. (altitude of Jalhua) to descend until 500m.o.w.l. into the valley of Majes. Yes, we will go down all this way.

On this traject we will pass the villages Machaguay, Viraco and Tagre.
A few kilometers behind Capiza, we will get into a moon like landscape, where the rivers Andamayo and Colca meet each other. The Colca river is the source of the river of Majes .

After that, we will get to the village of Querullpa where we are going to have a look at the 150 million years old trades of two legged dinosaurs. One hour walk away from this place, there are sea fossils to be found.

After this, we will head back to Arequipa.