At over 3,400 meters deep in places, Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world — more than twice the depth of the Grand Canyon — and its sheer scale leaves visitors speechless. Located about 160 kilometers northwest of Arequipa, Peru’s elegant colonial second city, the canyon was carved over millennia by the Colca River through volcanic rock and is flanked by snow-dusted peaks, pre-Inca agricultural terraces still in active use, and tiny whitewashed villages where life moves at an ancient Andean pace. The undisputed highlight is the Cruz del Condor viewpoint, where each morning massive Andean condors — with wingspans exceeding three meters — ride the canyon’s thermal updrafts at eye level, soaring mere meters from the observation platform in a display of effortless aerial mastery.

For trekkers, the canyon offers multi-day routes that descend from the rim through cactus-studded slopes to an oasis at the canyon floor, where palm-fringed swimming pools fed by natural hot springs provide welcome relief after the steep descent. The villages of Yanque and Chivay along the upper rim host hot springs, colonial churches, and colorful local markets where Collagua and Cabana women wear elaborately embroidered traditional clothing and distinctive flat-topped hats. The agricultural terraces climbing the canyon walls, some predating the Incas by centuries, are still irrigated by ancient channels and produce barley, quinoa, and the broadest variety of native corn in Peru.

Pro tip: Stay overnight in Chivay or Cabanaconde to reach Cruz del Condor by 8:00 AM, when the condors begin to rise — most tour groups from Arequipa arrive later, between 9:00 and 10:00 AM. Acclimatize in Arequipa (2,335m) for at least a day before visiting the canyon, as the road crosses a 4,910-meter pass and altitude sickness is common for unprepared visitors.