Perks of Arequipa and Colca Canyon

2 years ago
Read Time: 2 minutes
by aperkins
Leave a comment

Perks of Arequipa and Colca Canyon:

Rafting in Rio Colca
Hanging with vicuñas
Majestic condors

This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item or service, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Travelling During Covid-19

With the unpredictability of Covid-19 and the variant strains, always research before booking any trips. You can find the latest travel advisory here: World Health Organization

The more I travel in Peru, the more I love this country. I reunited with Marieka and Jante, two lovely chicas from my San Blas tour, for a coffee in Cusco and said goodbye to Audrey. I arrived at the night bus station in Cusco to head to Arequipa. While I don’t like taking the night bus because I can’t sleep, it’s a necessary evil for getting around this big country.

We arrived in Arequipa at 4am and a bunch of people decided to stay at Wild Rover, the main party hostel in town. Once I got here, I cursed myself for not checking out this hostel in La Paz or Cusco. This hostel is super fun vibe, good beds, and strong hot pressure showers. As a backpacker, I was in heaven.

That first day, I lucked out because my bed was ready at 4am so I could go right to bed. That afternoon I awoke to sunshine and met some people who wanted to do the free walking tour. All of us had a sufficient enough grasp of Spanish so we did the Spanish tour which allowed for a smaller group. Once it was over, I grabbed some dinner at the hostel and enjoyed the atmosphere.

The White City

Arequipa was founded in 1540 and is known as the White City. It’s historical center has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A series of volcanos dominates the city skyline – Misti, Pichu Pichy and Chachani.

Rafting

One of the main activities to partake in is white water rafting. I have never done it before so I wanted to try! The rapids were considered class 3, but I found it to be very manageable and fun.

Colca Canyon

I did a two day bus tour to see the Colca Valley and Canyon. Honestly, it was a good deal for $28 but it was super touristy with way too many “souvenir shopping breaks”. I was the youngest person on the tour by at least 10 years. We did luck out at the condor viewpoint in the valley and managed to catch 6 majestic condors flying high through the valley.

Now I’m continuing on my multi-day Peru adventure to Huacachina!