Peru’s Stunning Colca Canyon and Realm of the Andean Condor

Although the trail to the remarkable Inca engineering and cultural achievement called Machu Picchu is Peru’s most famous destination, Cañon del Colca, or Colca Canyon is a grand and extraordinary experience…one not to miss!

One of the deepest canyons in the world — nearly 14,000 feet from its highest point to its lowest, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, it is home to the Andean condor, a sacred bird in Inca culture.

The condor is one of the largest flying birds in the world, with a wingspan of up to 10 feet. I experienced the majesty of the Canyon’s great bird, the Andean condor, from the Mirador Cruz del Cóndor lookout.

In Peruvian culture, the condor is a sacred bird representing the heavens, the skies, the future and the “upper world”. It was also a symbol of power and health.

Carved out by the Colca River as it snakes through the Andes mountains to the Pacific Ocean, the route hosts small and picturesque villages and terraced farms established by Spanish conquistadors. But communities here predate the 14th century Inca civilization.

The nearest major city is Arequipa, also known as the White City for its buildings made from the white volcanic sillar stone. It’s the second-largest city in Peru and about a three- to four-hour drive to the canyon.

The condor was a bird sacred to the Incas who believed that it communicated the upper world (Hanan Pacha) with the earthly world (Kay Pacha)

American Bird Conservancy

Condors are able to fly to heights of over 16,000 feet and remain a sacred bird for men of the Andes. Many small towns in Peru celebrate an Andean ritual known as “Yawar Fiesta” or blood ritual in which the condor has a starring role.

A captured condor is taken to the village, its wings are decorated and the bird is fed then
placed on the back of a strong bull and tied down. In a contest of strength and will, both animals try to free themselves. The event can take place in a bullring in larger towns or at the canyon face in the Colca regions. As bull and condor advance to the edge of a cliff, villagers confront both and free the condor who spreads its enormous wings and launches itself into space. If the condor is wounded during the ceremony, the prediction is dire for the community so efforts to save the bird are a priority.

After watching these magnificent birds in flight, it is easy to understand the Incan reverence for their powerful presence and link to the heavens.