Visiting the Colca Canyon is one of the natural wonders that anyone should enjoy. It is considered one of the most important canyons of the world, since it reaches a depth of 4.160 meters, approximately. It is located in Arequipa; Peru, and it is also known as “El Valle del Fuego”.
As an important feature, this canyon is twice as large as the Grand Canyon (United States), it also constitutes the highest active volcanic mountain range in the world and its shape is due to the volcanic activities of the Sabancaya and Hualca Hualca.
The magic that surrounds this majestic place is magnified at dawn with the flight of the largest bird of prey on the planet, the Andean Condor, also considered one of the sacred animals of the Inca civilization, its scientific name is Vultur gryphus. Being a huge bird, which can weigh 15 kilos, with a wingspan of three meters, it prefers to fly and plan for more than 5 kilometers, in places with winds that speed up its transit through the mountains.
From the top of their habitat, very early in the morning, they can be seen leaving the Condor cross, to find the food of the day -carrion-. Its excellent sight, as a good characteristic of the family of vultures, let them that at great distances not lose sight of the prey, which usually tend to be large, wild or domestic animals.
This black bird, which can live about 75 years or less, usually has a characteristic white collar when it is adult; it’s a species in danger of extinction, since it reproduces every two years with only one child, so there are organizations that are dedicated to keeping them in captivity for reproduction.
Once in the place, the audience must have patience, since there is not an hour or a precise moment to see them fly; but, if they are lucky they will be captivated with the precious parade of the kings of this blue sky, which will definitely leave them speechless. An important aspect is that it is necessary to keep silence as it is something that these birds will appreciate to be able to undertake their perfect glide.
There is also the possibility that you can not observe what tourists are looking for, as it is to see the condors fly, ruling the skies of Arequipa. However, this place offers many interesting things that you can enjoy, such as: admiring their ancestral customs, dances of the region and the agricultural landscape they offer.
Finally, you can have the possibility of doing some extreme sports, if you prefer, such as canoeing, mountaineering, mountain climbing, fishing, “trekking”, among others. So as soon as you feel like having a different trip with the possibility of knowing more about nature, be sure to visit the Colca Canyon.
ALFA