Peru Guide
Around Arequipa
Cotahuasi Canyon
First navigated by a Polish expedition in 1981 and declared a Zona de Reserva Turística Nacional in 1988, the magnificent COTAHUASI CANYON (Cañon de Cotahuasi), 378km from Arequipa, has since opened up to visits that don't necessarily involve major rafting trips. However, getting to this wild and remote place is even more adventurous and less frequently attempted than the trip to the Valley of the Volcanoes. One of the world's deepest canyons, along with nearby Colca and the Grand Canyon in the US, it runs more or less parallel to the Cordillera de Chila, official source of the Amazon, and boasts some pretty impressive statistics: around 3400m deep and over 100km long.
Arriving from the south along the difficult road from Arequipa (some 375km long) the route passes along the bottom part of the canyon, where the main settlement, Cotahuasi pueblo, can be found. This remote and attractive pueblo of Cotahuasi (2684m above sea level) makes a good base for exploring the canyon, and offers by far the best facilities (try the Hostal Alcala II, 
054/581090; Price: $5–15).It has a variable climate but isn't particularly cold and is rapidly developing a name as an adventure-travel destination. Continuing north to the village of Alcha (near to the hot springs of Luicho), the road forks. To the right, it heads into the deeper part of the canyon where you'll find the village of Pucya and, further up the valley, heading pretty well northwest you end up at the astonishingly beautiful plateau of Lauripampa, from where you can walk down into the canyon or explore the large natural spread of the massive Puya Raymondi cacti. The left fork continues to the pueblo of Pampamarca, where the locals weave lovely woollen blankets. Above the pueblo there is a fabulous trail that leads to the Uscuni waterfalls on one side of the valley and the natural rock formations of the Bosque de Piedras on the other. A little further on you'll find the thermal springs of Josla, an ancient spa that's a joy for tired legs after a long hike.