This area is not as tourist-developed yet as other areas such as Machu Picchu so it is pretty rough on the roads and it's hard to hear the guide on the bus when it's rattling along... but the views and the condors and the vicunyas, llamas, alpacas and villages along the way to the canyon are spectacular in themselves. The Canyon is beyond imagination and it's sheer size makes it hard to photograph or comprehend. So you have to visit and see for yourself. The hotsprings in Chivay are fabulous after a hard day's travelling. Don't go to the "Irish Bar" in Chivay if you want Irish beer because there isn't any. The only Irish thing there is the pool table - the ball moves toward your cue due to the incline!

I took a day tour to the Colca Canyon and found it to be a lot of driving for a few pretty views. Had I had the time, I think some trekking would have been a much better experience

"Ollas de Barro" are the pottery that give their food a traditional touch, and it is simply beautiful.

Worth the journey to Arequipa and another 6 hour bus ride over the high passes, where there is a stop for altitude tea and shopping, to the beautiful Colca Canyon where after a short hike one has the opportunity to see the Condors fly around midday every day. They did not disappoint! They were grand, majestic and beautiful! Worth the journey!