Volcanoes Valley Tour

Description Volcanoes Valley Tour Arequipa

With the Tour Valle de los Volcanes Arequipa or “Valley of the Volcanoes”, you can visit the Geopark and the hidden Pearl of Castile, a waterfall and see the largest bird in the world. Ideal for those who love beautiful landscapes, adventure and seeing the Condor.

Adventure VALLEY OF THE VOLCANOES, is located in the department of Arequipa. In it runs the Andagua River from north to south, the area is home to several volcanoes including the Antaymarca, around it are more than a dozen volcanoes, highlighting the twins Shipee and Jonson. The highest volcano is Pucamauras at 350 meters above sea level.

There is a basaltic lava fault in the valley. The Andagua fault is 500 to 800 masl lower than the Huambo fault. The presence of lava is due to the multiple eruption of small volcanoes. These volcanoes emerged by the degassing of lavas or eruptions from the magma and the formation of the valley dates from two hundred thousand years ago.

The Panahua Waterfall Trekking, is a natural resource that is located in the district of Orcopampa, the peculiarity of this natural resource despite the fact that it is a waterfall, is that most of the time presents its waters completely frozen.

The waterfall of Panahua presents a height of fifty meters and in fact, its attractiveness lies in the solid state of its waters. The way from the entrance of the waterfall as an excursion to the Panahua waterfall to the same resource, comprises a path of 600 meters that can be completed in less than 20 minutes. As it has entrance control, the Panahua waterfall can only be visited from 8 am – 3.00 pm. Among the activities that can be done at the waterfall are trekking and bird watching. The path that presents this waterfall, also allows access to interesting trails such as caves, ritual scenarios of payments to the Apus, among others.

From the MIRADOR DE LA CRUZ DEL CONDOR, we will be able to delight ourselves with the flight of the Condor, this majestic bird in danger of extinction that inhabits the canyon. Its varied fauna will also allow the traveler to enjoy the presence of animals such as alpaca, vicuña, vizcachas, foxes, pumas, eagles, hawks and owls.

Enjoy Arequipa Volcanoes Valley Tour

MAIN POINTS OF VISIT

• Arequipa (2,335 masl)
• Toro Muerto (400 – 800 masl)
• Panahua Waterfall (3,779 masl)
• Andagua (3,560 masl)
• Cruz del Condor Viewpoint (3,800 masl)

Day 1: Arequipa – Toro Muerto and Querulpa Petroglyphs

• 05.00 hrs Pick up from the hotel in the circuit of the Plaza de Armas.
• We will board the vehicle to go through the Majes valley to Corire, the closest town to the pretoglyphs and visit Toro Muerto, a place where we will find more than 6,000 thousand engraved stones with phytomorphic, zoomorphic, anthropomorphic and geometric shapes. We will have the opportunity to know in situ the historical legacy of our pre-Columbian cultures such as: Wari, Chuquibamba and Inca excursions, this tour will last 03 hrs.
•  Then we will go to QUERULPA, place where we will appreciate the dinosaur footprints, from this place we will have a spectacular view of the entire valley of majes.
• Lunch, this day we will enjoy a delicious lunch of shrimp.
• Continuing with our trip. We will arrive to the beautiful Andenerias of the Viraco Valley, Capiza and Machaguay town, famous for its fighting bulls, spectacular view of the pre-Inca terraces, still cultivated very close to the Nevado Coropuna (6,400 meters above sea level).
• We will advance to Andagua, a city tour requipa known for its chains of inactive volcanoes but with a lot of presence over the place. This city was created during the independence period.
• Here it is possible to appreciate a set of several volcanoes, the Chilcayoc and Jechapita and large lava flows, the Chachas lagoon and the Chila mountain range. In addition, you can visit some archaeological remains of the Arunis, among which are the domestic architecture, tombs and chullpas and where you can see rooms, courtyards and alleys that communicated with the houses. Also, the route offers diverse species of flora and fauna, especially birds, among which 44 of the 76 species existing in the valley have been identified.
• Overnight stay in family homes.

LODGING: FAMILY HOME

BREAKFAST – HOTEL / LUNCH and DINNER – AGENCIA 

Day 2: Hike To Antamarca – Twin Volcanoes

• This second day, we will have breakfast very early and then get ready for the tour to the Mirador de Antaymarca through volcanic lava trails and archaeological sites.
• We will visit the city tour Mirador Carmen Alto Interpretative Soporo, which is located 5 km from the citadel of Andagua, where we will have a panoramic view of the 32 volcanoes that surround the town of Andagua. Hike to the Andagua Lagoon to see endemic and migratory birds such as Andean geese and Andean ducks.
• Lunch with local products at El Paraíso Country Restaurant.
• In the afternoon we will trek to the representative volcanoes of the town of Andagua “Los Mellizos”, a hike of medium difficulty, with a local guide. To get to the “Mellizos”, leaving from the square of Andagua is an hour walk.
• They are located at an approximate altitude of 3700 meters above sea level, are part and are the representative icon of the well-known Valley of the Andagua Volcanoes, are two volcanic cones that have the same geomorphological characteristics, are monogenic volcanoes (origin in a single lava emanation), consisting of dark material and basic lava, the cones have altitudes of 181 and 138 meters.
• The main tourist attraction of Arequipa is to observe the prismatic morphology of the cones and domes of scoria lava, is one of the most interesting areas to visit. Also, reaching the top of these volcanoes become natural viewpoints; you can appreciate the town of Andagua, its countryside and the volcanoes Quechapita, Yana Maura, Chilcayoc Chico, Chilcayoc Grande, kanallamauras.
• Preparation of dinners in houses and also the overnight stay in Andagua.

Lodging: FAMILY HOME

BREAKFAST, LUNCH and DINNER – AGENCY

Day 3: Ayas, Chachas and Orcopampa

• Chachas is at 3,000 meters above sea level, surrounded by the Jojolloche, Cóndor Sencca (condor’s nose) and Juisha hills. In the first of them there is a viewpoint from where you can see the town and the nature that surrounds it, as well as its lagoon.
• At the foot of the Jojolloche hill and the petrified lava is the Challahuire river adventure, as well as the waterfall of the same name. The tributary descends from Orcopampa, Andagua, the Chachas lagoon, to then continue its journey and get lost in the subway in the area of Cangrejal. After that, the water flows again in the Mamacocha lagoon in the district of Ayo, known as the largest spring.
• Breakfast at Andagua Casas vivenciales.
• We will board the bus to go to the town of Ayo, we will make a tour towards the Mamacocha Lagoon, an oasis in the volcanic desert of Castilla.  A legend says that the lagoon was a plain where the population was installed, in one of the parties came a beggar asking for food, but no one attended him, except for a lady, who later the old man invited him to flee the village because something bad would happen, the condition was not to look back. But in the Juisha hill, the woman and her daughter turned around and were petrified and turned into rocks.
• Others say that due to the eruptions, the lava diverted the Challahuire river adventure and flooded the town to then stay as Chachas lagoon and that is why In the surroundings you can find traces of the houses where the ancient settlers lived, so also, we will visit the archaeological remains of Mamacocha.
• Lunch with shrimp and local products from the town of Ayo.
• We will visit the town of Chachas and the Mirador de Jojolloque, the Church of the Immaculate of Chachas. After this wonderful visit we will go to the town of Orcopampa.
• Dinner and overnight in a lodge.

Lodging: FAMILY HOME

BREAKFAST, LUNCH and DINNER – AGENCY

Day 4: Panagua Waterfall

• On the way back to the white city we will visit the Panahua waterfalls on the way.
• Arrival to Chivay for lunch and visit to the thermal baths.
• Dinner and overnight in Chivay.

Lodging: FAMILY HOME

BREAKFAST, LUNCH and DINNER – AGENCY

Day 5: Panagua Waterfall

• 05.00 hrs We will have breakfast very early in Chivay and leave for the Cruz del Condor.
• 08.00 hrs approx. We will arrive to the Cruz del Condor tour, where we will be able to appreciate the majestic flight of the condors, we will also appreciate the canyon (1200 m deep from this point).
• The Incas believed that the Condor was immortal. According to the myth, when the animal feels that it is beginning to age and that its strength is running out, it perches on the highest and most protruding peak of the mountains, folds its wings, picks up its legs and falls to the bottom of the ravines, where its reign ends. This death is symbolic, since with this act the condor returns to the nest, to the mountains, from where it is reborn towards a new cycle, a new life.
• The CONDOR symbolized strength, intelligence and exaltation. It was an animal respected by all those who lived in the Andes since times before the discovery of America, since it not only brought good and bad omens, but it was also responsible for the sun to rise every morning, because with its energy it was able to take the star and raise it over the mountains initiating the life cycle.
• On the return to Arequipa city tour we will make tourist stops such as: Patapampa, Vizcachani, the Pampa Cañahuas Reserve.
• Arrival to Arequipa, we will leave you at your hotel.

BREAKFAST and LUNCH – AGENCY/ DINNER – PASSENGER