Coordinates: 15°35′50″S, 71°52′45″W Colca Canyon is a canyon of the Colca River in southern Peru. It is located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Arequipa. It is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States. However, the canyon's walls are not as vertical as those of the Grand Canyon. The Cotahuasi Canyon to the northwest is a deeper canyon at 11,488 ft (3,501 m). Since they are such major features of the landscape, the Colca and Cotahuasi canyons are both easily recognizable in even low-resolution satellite photos of the region. The Colca Valley is a colorful Andean valley with towns founded in Spanish Colonial times and formerly inhabited by the Collaguas and the Cabanas. The local people still maintain ancestral traditions and continue to cultivate the pre-Inca stepped terraces. Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Grand Canyon, Arizona Noravank Monastery complex and canyon in Armenia. ... The Colca River is a rugged river that flows deep in the rugged Andes of southern Peru. ... For the cactus genus, see Oreocereus. ... This article is about the canyon in the southwestern United States. ... Cotahuasi Canyon is considered deepest of the Americas. ... The word Andean refers to the geographic area in and around the Andes Mountains of South America, and to the indigenous peoples that inhabit the area, such as the Inca. ... Cabana is a city in Peru. ... For other meanings of Inca, see Inca (disambiguation). ...

Geography

Colca river.

Valle del Colca

The Colca River starts high in the Andes at Condorama Crucero Alto and changes its name to Majes, and then to Camana before reaching the Pacific Ocean. Parts of the canyon are habitable, and Inca and pre-Inca terraces are still cultivated along the less precipitous canyon walls. The small town of Chivay is on the upper Colca River, where the canyon is not so deep but where many terraces are present in the canyon and continue for many kilometers downstream. As the canyon deepens downriver, a series of small villages is spread out over the approximately 35 miles (56 km) between Chivay and the village of Cabanaconde. The canyon reaches its greatest depth and, in contrast, about 15 miles (24 km) to the southeast rises the 20,630-ft (6,288-m) Nevado Ampato, a snow-capped extinct volcano. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1704x2272, 995 KB) Summary Colca River Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1704x2272, 995 KB) Summary Colca River Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 146 KB) Valle del Colca, Arequipa, Perú. Autor de la fotografía: Antonio Velasco. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 146 KB) Valle del Colca, Arequipa, Perú. Autor de la fotografía: Antonio Velasco. ... This article is about the mountain system in South America. ... Chivay is a town in the Colca Canyon, (Colca Valley), Arequipa, Peru. ...

Attractions

An Andean condor soars over southern Peru's Colca Canyon. These Condors are an increasingly popular attraction.

The Andean condors are attracting more and more visitors each year to the Colca Canyon. The Canyon is home of this majestic Condor and tourists can see the big condors at fairly close range as they fly through the canyon walls. The canyon is the natural habitat of the great Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), a species that has seen world-wide effort to preserve it. Image File history File linksMetadata Condor_flying_over_the_Colca_canyon_in_Peru. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Condor_flying_over_the_Colca_canyon_in_Peru. ... For other uses, see condor (disambiguation). ... Species Vultur gryphus Gymnogyps californianus Note that Condor is the NATO reporting name for the Russian/Soviet Antonov An-124 transport aircraft. ...

'Cruz del Condor' is a popular tourist stop to view the condors, the pass where condors soar gracefully on the rising thermals occurring as the air warms. The condors hunt in the early morning and late afternoon, so it is best to be there during those times. At this point the canyon floor is 3,960 ft (1,200 m) below the rim of the canyon.

The Colca Canyon is also ideal for Adventure Sports. In addition, the La Calera natural hot springs are located at Chivay, the biggest town in the Colca Canyon.

Name

The name Colca refers to small holes in the cliffs in the valley and canyon. These holes were used in Inca and pre-Inca times to store food, such as potatoes and other andean crops. They were also used as tombs for important people.

History

The Spanish laid out towns along the canyon and built churches there, but the towns did not thrive and have faded out of memory. In the 1980s, the Majes Hydroelectric Project built roads and opened the area to outsiders. Access today is usually through Arequipa. For the cactus genus, see Oreocereus. ...

Panoramic view

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (5283x1626, 1620 KB) Summary Panoramic view of the Cañón del Colca in Arequipa, Perú Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Colca Canyon

• Colca Canyon Excursions
• Colca Canyon Photo Gallery
• Colca Canyon Additional information