Colca Canyon is in Peru's Southern Sierra region, near Arequipa.

The Colca Valley is an area of astounding scenic beauty, with giant Andean terraces and a deep canyon that reach a depth of 4160 metres. Along the way visitors can enjoy unique natural sceneries, as well as animal life; such as herds of Vicuñas (a wild relative of Llamas and Alpacas) and various types of birds, of which stand out the giant hummingbird, eagles, gooses and the mighty Andean Condor, which can usually be spotted at the "Cruz del Condor".

There are many adventure tours organized in the area.

A journey to the Colca Valley takes at least 4 hours throughout high Andean plateau, reaching at one point a high pass of 4800 metres, which offers fine views of the volcanoes. You'll have to pay an entrance fee when arriving to Chivay, a nice and very friendly town at the beginning of the canyon, with good hotels and hostels.

Look around for the towns with a lot of local colour, and very cheap handicrafts and garments. If travelling during the southern summer, the views are stunning thanks to the abundance of greenery; there is a significant risk of rain though.

The Colca Valley is an area of astounding scenic beauty, with giant Andean terraces and a deep canyon that reach a depth of 3140 metres.