Your half day sightseeing of this beautiful city includes a visit to the Spanish Colonial Monastery of Santa Catalina, called "a city within a city", which lay closed to the layman and shrouded in mystery for over 400 years. This remarkable relic of colonial times now is open to the public. (4h.)
On this half day tour you’ll enjoy the beautiful landscape of Arequipa and its surrounding districts. Visit Yanahuara, known as the "balcony of Arequipa"; Caima with its colonial church; and Sabandia with its typical 18th century water mill. (4h.)
The Incas enjoyed them, and now you can too! This tour offers you the opportunity to take a dip in the thermal and medicinal Yura Thermal Baths. Many have touted the healing powers of these waters for ailments ranging from chronic joint complaints to digestive tract illnesses. (5h.)
Visit to the "Museo Santuarios Andinos" to visit the exhibit La Dama de Ampato (the Lady of Ampato), an Inca mummy of a twelve to fourteen-year-old girl found at the top of the Ampato volcano. According to the specialists, it is very likely that the girl, whose remains were found frozen, died from a blow to the temple from a five-pointed granite mace. Archaeologists believe she was taken to a religious complex on the Nevado Ampato volcano for a ritual sacrifice to appease Inca gods. Before the killing, she may have fasted and taken drugs or an intoxicating drink. Exhibit is May to December only. (1.3h)
Your half day sightseeing of this beautiful city, placed on the World Cultural Heritage list by UNESCO, features Mixed Baroque churches and mansions from the colonial period like the Monastery of Santa Catalina, The Main Square is bordered by various arched walkways and the Cathedral, it showcase a beautiful bronze fountain of three plates crowned by the figure of a sixteenth century soldier. Around the square, you see three granite portals with brick and lime bases.
The Santa Catalina Convent is called "a city within a city", a Spanish city in miniature with stone streets, beautiful patios, and plaza, it is a masterpiece of colonial architecture, and houses some of the finest examples of Spanish American religious art. Since 1970 visitors have been able to stroll through the streets and cloisters that during colonial times were the refuge of female nobility who had decided to isolate from the world and dedicate entirely to prayer.Continue to the "Museo Santuarios Andinos" to visit the exhibit La Dama de Ampato (the Lady of Ampato), an Inca mummy of a twelve to fourteen-year-old girl found at the top of the Ampato volcano. According to the specialists, it is very likely that the girl, whose remains were found frozen, died from a blow to the temple from a five-pointed granite mace. Archaeologists believe she was taken to a religious complex on the Nevado Ampato volcano for a ritual sacrifice to appease Inca gods. Before the killing, she may have fasted and taken drugs or an intoxicating drink. Exhibit is May to December only. (4h)
Take a splendid adventure through one of the most awe-inspiring places of Peru!. Cross hte highlands observing groups of wild vicuñas and experience a totally different andean scenary. Visit the "Cross of the Condor" at an altitude of some 15 000 feet and explore the majestic Colca Valley and the world's deepest canyon. (L) (14h.)
No visit to Peru would be complete without typical Peruvian food. Menus in our restaurants feature a variety of seafood, chicken and beef selections. One is bound to please your palate. (2h)
Early departure towards the highlands passing through Yura-Pampa Cañahuas and La Pulpera with good possibility of observing groups of wild vicuñas and fighting cattle. Stop en route to see petrogliphs in the Caves of Mollepunco and in the town of Callali to see natural hill formations with the appearance of enchanted castles. Drive to La Calera to enjoy the thermal baths under the stars. Return to Chivay for overnight. (B,L,D)
To maximize your probability of seeing condors we depart very early towards the "Cross of the Condor" at about an altitude of 15,000 feet. Drive a little further in to the canyon to see some pre-Inca ruins and watch the way of life in this remote land. Return to Chivay for lunch and afternoon return to Arequipa. (B,L)
Departure towards the highlands passing through Yura-Pampa Cañahuas and La Pulpera with good possibility of observing groups of wild vicuñas and fighting cattle. The road to the Colca Canyon reaches a high point of 13,000 feet before dropping down to the valley, an area of breath taking landscapes surrounded by terracing and snow-capped peaks. Far below, at a depth of 10,000 feet, the Colca River winds along the bottom of the canyon, the world's deepest.
Stop en route to see petroglyphs in the Caves of Mollepunco and in the town of Callali to see natural hill formations with the appearance of enchanted castles. Continue to La Calera to enjoy the thermal baths under the stars. Overnight in Colca Canyon area. (B,L,D)
To maximize your probability of seeing condors we depart very early towards a superb natural lookout point "Cross of the Condor" from where one can watch condors wheeling across the Colca Canyon, at about an altitude of 15,000 feet. The valley also features pre-Inca ruins, pre-Inca burial grounds and archaeological remains left behind by the Collagua, the ancient inhabitants of the area. Drive further in to the canyon to observe the way of life in this remote land and to admire the impressive irrigation system and the fertile mountains terraced for farming of the Colca valley.
Ask your guide to take you to one of the many workshops in which close to a thousand artisans, scattered throughout the towns in the canyon, turn their ancient sewing and weaving machines into paint brushes to give life to impressively intricate and colorful embroidery and shawls. Accommodation in Colca Canyon area. (B,L,D)
Return to Arequipa. (B,L)
Departure towards the highlands passing through Yura-Pampa Cañahuas and La Pulpera with good possibility of observing groups of wild vicuñas and fighting cattle. The road to the Colca Canyon reaches a high point of 13,000 feet before dropping down to the valley, an area of breath taking landscapes surrounded by terracing and snow-capped peaks. Far below, at a depth of 10,000 feet, the Colca River winds along the bottom of the canyon, the world's deepest. Overnight in Colca Canyon area. (B,L,D)
To maximize your probability of seeing condors we depart very early towards a superb natural lookout point "Cross of the Condor" from where one can watch condors wheeling across the Colca Canyon, at about an altitude of 15,000 feet. The valley also features pre-Inca ruins, pre-Inca burial grounds and archaeological remains left behind by the Collagua, the ancient inhabitants of the area. Drive further in to the canyon to observe the way of life in this remote land and to admire the impressive irrigation system and the fertile mountains terraced for farming of the Colca valley.
Ask your guide to take you to one of the many workshops in which close to a thousand artisans, scattered throughout the towns in the canyon, turn their ancient sewing and weaving machines into paint brushes to give life to impressively intricate and colorful embroidery and shawls.
The overland trip to Puno features unique natural scenery of the Peruvian Highlands.
Evening arrival in Puno. (B,L)
Early in the morning, after breakfast, departure by land on your excursion towards the Colca Valley driving across Pampa Cañahuas at the Aguada Blanca National Reserve, habitat of herds of Vicuñas and stopping at the Mirador de los Andes, the Crater of Chucura, the Mirador de Chivay, where beautiful pre-Columbian terraces still being cultivated by native Collaguas can be observed. The highest point of the road is at 4350 m.a.s.l..Arrive to Chivay aprox. 13:00. In the afternoon visit the hot springs La Calera. (B,L,D)
Early in the morning departure to the "Condor's Cross" from where the great Andean bird, the Condor, may be spotted flying in circles above still farmed green pre-Hispanic terraces. Enjoy the impressive panorama of the Colca Canyon, one of the deepest in the World (3,180 mts.. On the way , visit to the Mirador of Wayrapunko , Antahuilque , Choquetico, where we will find the famous Hanging Tombs. At the Town of Yanque, visit its beautiful church and its characteristic cobbled stone streets among other attractions,after return for the town Maca and arrive to Chivay and return to hotel. (B,L,D)
08:00. departure to the City Puno in the way we seeing the Forest of stones, we will observe small cazerios with sheeps, llamas ,the mountains that appear around create a natural landscape that typifies the Peruvian saw, we will estimate the lagoon altoandina called Lagunillas with great wild variety of birds and flora, we saw the villages of Imata, Santa Lucia , Juliaca arrive in Puno aprox 14:00hrs. (B,L)
