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Arequipa and Colca Canyon
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Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru and not one that many Americans have on their bucket list. We
really loved the historical center and the convent they are worth a few days and if you add Colca Canyan the
gateway to get to the remote canyon of the condors. We stayed in the Casa Andina Private Collection Hotel,
a chic 4 star option, but our suite was very simple. Sufficient and well located close to the colonial sites it
was fine for us. In the morning we took a walk through the Historic Center, built mostly with a local sillar, a
pale volcanic rock, affording Arequipa its glorious architecture and its appropriate nickname, "the White City".
We visited the Convent of Santa Catalina, where the first-born daughters of the local elite were cloistered for
life, since the mid. 16th Century until 1970.
Then we continued with a trip to the awesome Colca
Valley to the Orient Express Property of Las Casitas del Colca. The 3.5 hour drive across Pampa Cañahuas
within the Aguada Blanca National Reserve, the habitat of vicuñas was quite an experience. Admire beautiful
pre-Columbian terraces still being cultivated by native Collaguas. This area seems to be at the top passes of
the andes and very much like being on the moon but with alpacas, llamas and vicunas. In the morning, we
visited the towns of Yanque, Maca, Achoma and Pinchollo, then we proceeded to the "Condors' Cross",
observation point from where you can view these great Andean birds. Impressive panorama of the Colca
Canyon, one of the deepest in the world (9,800 ft). In the afternoon, we returned to Arequipa where we
stayed again in Casa Andina to fly to Cuzco in the morning.
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Las Casitas del Colca
Las Casita del Colca by Orient-Express is Peru's hidden gem, a luxury hotel and spa set in the peace and serenity of the...
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