We decided to hike Cañón Del Colca partly because it is the world’s second deepest canyon and partly because we wanted to do at least one multi-day hike while we are in Peru. Besides that we also heard that trekking is the best way to experience the canyon and it is easy to do it on your own without a guide.

In Arequipa we booked a colectivo turístico, which drove us to Cabanaconde, a small village from which we began our 3-day trek into the canyon. On the way we stopped at Mirador Cruz del Condor, a popular viewing point for the giant Andean condor. It is a great spot even if you are not that into birds, because the condors fly very close the canyon walls, and you cannot help but be amazed by the sight of this huge bird, which by the way a symbol of long life and eternity among indigenous people - and after seeing the condors, I can really understand it. 

Day 1: hike from Cabanaconde to San Juan de Chuccho

We started our hike in Cabanaconde, a dusty little village, where after a short snack and water break we began to descend to the Colca River. 

The hike was hard; we walked downhill on a dusty and rocky trail for 3,5 hours. And we did not find the trail safe at all; the canyon was so eroded that a pile of rocks could fall on us at any time. 

But the view was pretty amazing.

This is San Juan de Chuccho, where we had spent the night, and that rocky zigzag path was the trail down to the Colca River.There was a suspension bridge across the river, where a local woman was waiting for us to offer her hospedaje for the night.She offered this room for 9$/night.

And the offer included access to this fabulous bathroom.Well, it was not exactly a Hilton hotel, but we did not feel like walking anymore, and the poor old Indian lady (Josephine) reminded me of my own grandma, so we agreed on 5$/night.

The hospedaje had a great view of the canyon and a nice garden, so it was not that bad after all.We also met some fellow travelers at the hospedaje, who invited us to fish at river in the afternoon. And in the evening we enjoyed Josephine's cooking together.Well, we enjoyed it until the next morning, when we realized that Josephine's cooking was just as hygienic as my grandma's. This episode funnily enough coincided with a water shortage at the hospedaje, so Josephine's fabulous bathroom was not that fabulous after we had left.

Day 2: hike from San Juan de Chuccho to Sangalle

We had left San Juan de Chuccho as fast as we could the next morning. This hike was much easier, than the one the day before, because it was mostly flat. On the way we passed by some villages and saw a few donkeys.

The villages were very poor, dirty, and well not pretty at all.

Sangalle is a beautiful oasis at the bottom of the canyon, it is not a real village, rather a series of resorts. We already had our eye on Sangalle on our first day of hike; it was easy to spot from the rim of the canyon, and it looked very welcoming.And finally we were heading there! Kasper had already decided that we will stay at the most luxurious resort possible, he did not want to risk a "Josephine experience" again. 

At Sangalle we chose this cottage (18$/night), we were so excited about the hot shower, clean sheets and the tiles, never asked what the place was called. One really learns to appreciate tiles in Colca Canyon; because the houses are made of dirt and everything is just so dusty.The rest of the resort was also great; they had a hot spring and a beautiful garden, which we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon.

Day 3: hike from Sangalle to Cabanaconde

On the third day we needed to hike back up to Cabanaconde to catch our ride back to Arequipa. I have read online that this hike takes 3-4 hours and one need to start early to avoid the sun. Our plan was to get up at 4:30am and start trekking at 5am, but our phone went out of battery during the night because of the cold, thus our alarm never rang. We woke up at 5:10 and first started the trail at 5:45am, by that time we only had 3h 15m to catch our 9am colectivo. We were basically racing up on the canyon walls, so there was no time to take photos or breaks. Therefore, I only have this photo of the trail.We did make it in time, but it was not fun; the hike was very strenuous and we had a short time to do it.

On our way back to Arequipa we stopped at a couple of interesting places. The first was a viewpoint, where we could see the pre-Inca stepped terraces which are still cultivated today.

The next stop was just what we needed: the Chacapi hot springs. It was amazing to soak our tired muscles in the hot water after the stressful morning, we just had.There were several basins with different water temperature (32-45 degree Celsius).Afterwards we had a short stop at Patapampa viewpoint (4,910m), where we could see all the volcanos in the area.

One of the volcanos had recently erupted and it was still active when we were there; it the one that is smoking in the middle.And of course we had the obligatory stop at the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve to see the llamas and the alpacas.We had a nice time in Colca Canyon, but it was not at all, what we had expected. Travel books and online forums painted a picture of a green valley with terraced agriculture, where you can find remote villages with traditionally dressed Andean peasants. I do not know where this idyllic landscape should be, but it is for sure not that part of the Colca Canyon, we hiked, which is a pity, because it is the most popular trail in the canyon. In reality Colca Canyon is not a big deal, it is just rocks and dust, so you would not lose anything if you stayed on the rim and skipped the hike to the bottom. I think you are better off taking a day trip from Arequipa instead; it is much less hassle and it gives you enough time to see the highlights: the condors and the pre-Inca terraces from the overlooks.