After reading numerous amazing comments about Carlitos, I was sure I wanted him to be our guide in Colca. Even though our expectations were really high, he managed to exceed them! Carlitos whose full name is Arturo Carlos Muñoa Guillen is the sweetest, nicest, cutest and fun person I've met in Peru. But not only that! He is a very competent and knowledgable guide who knows Colca Canyon inside and out. He not only knows the history of the place and its every corner, pueblo and rock, but all the local people who love and respect him. Even dogs recognize him and end up hiking with him up the canyon :) The best thing about him is that he really loves what he does and this passion is contagious. He has been to Colca 600 times and yet he has this incredible energy and enthusiasm, just as if he was seeing it for the first time. He also loves spending time with people, telling interesting stories and getting to know other languages. He speaks English very well so for those who don't speak Spanish, there's absolutely no problem to communicate with him.
Carlitos' secret lies in details and added value. We met with him one day before going to Colca when we could meet other very nice people who were going with us. He came to pick us up in our house and assured the grandma we were staying with (who was a bit scared about us) that everything was ok :) He introduced himself, offered us his favorite chocolate, gave us tips for our trip and took pictures of us with the Arequipa mountains. But that's not all! He actually gave us a free tour around Arequipa that was not included in the price, showed us the local market to try fruits and delicious juices and even took us to the shops to buy what we needed for the hike!
He offers 2 or 3-day tours in Colca but I would strongly recommend to take the second option. On our first day we had an amazing breakfast, visited Cruz del Condor and then started our hike down the Colca Canyon. Carlitos was very supportive every step of the way. Even though mules were carrying our backpacks (guided by a wonderfully warm and nice man Mauricio), he offered to carry our water for us and he always asked whether everyone was ok and feeling good. He also explained very well our every move and made sure everyone is comfortable with it.
We spent our first night with the local family who prepared us delicious dinner and showed us to our rooms which were quite simple but had everything we needed for a good night sleep. The next day Carlitos prepared us the most delicious breakfast we had in the whole Peru (after that we always ate bread with marmelade) - pancakes with dulce de leche, amazing! Then those who were up for a hike, went with Carlitos to visit 1 other place. The rest of us stayed with Mauricio and his lovely wife Rufina who showed us how they cultivate their vegetables and fruits. Mauricio took us to his garden where he explained about herbs, fruits of this season and vegetables he is cultivating all year long. We helped him pick up some avocados which we used later on for our delicious lunch. We agreed with all my friends that this was the best lunch we've had in Peru - rice, papa rellena and avocado (palta) salad, yummy! We even got to dress as locals that afternoon and take pictures in the wonderful colorful dresses :)
The same day we started our walk down the Colca to the Oasis where we spend another night. That evening Carlitos cooked a dinner for us himself and didn't even want anyone to help him. He also arranged some snacks and sweets for the next morning before climbing the Colca Canyon. He gave everyone an option to ride a mule up the canyon, but everyone decided to go on foot. We had to wake up quite early (4:30) to start the climb, but Carlitos even came to wake us up and made sure we all had some breakfast before we started. During our hike, he was again very supportive and made stops every time someone needed it. When we climbed up, he took pictures of all of us with all our cameras and took us for another amazing breakfast with scrambled eggs, bread, cheese, juices, etc. After breakfast we went to relax in the hot springs of Chivay and while the rest of the trip was going to have lunch and then return to Arequipa, me and my friends had to leave earlier to catch a bus to Puno. Carlitos was incredible! Even though we had a few minutes before catching the bus, he made an effort to get us our lunch to go, then gave us a ride to our bus, helped with our luggage and made sure we went in safely. We saw people from other tour guides on our bus and they were starving as their guide didn't care about lunch.. I have to say we all felt so attended and so taken care of that we missed Carlitos the next day so much! We even wanted to kidnap him so that he gives us the same tour on Lake Titicaca. Our guide there just like anywhere else we went afterwards couldn't even compare to Carlitos and that's one of the reasons Colca remained our favorite destination in Peru.
I think your travel experience depends entirely on the people you are with and of the way you get to know places. Colca was incredibly special because of Carlitos and if anyone is planning on going there, I cannot imagine any other way than going with him. He will show you this place as a local, not a tourist. He will introduce you to the local flavors and tell you funny and amazing stories of his other trips.
Carlitos used to work for an agency but decided to work independently and he is now starting his own business. I think that his dedication, enthusiasm, passion and extra value he provides will get him really really far. He also supports local communities and has a big heart for his friends down in Colca, which I really really admire.
So, if you are going to Colca, don't think twice and book Carlitos at:
carlitos_arequipa_peru@hotmail.com
OR
carlitos.arequipa.peru@gmail.com
The name of his new agency is CARLITOS TOUR. I can promise you that you will NOT regret this!