- Province of Camaná
173 km / 568 miles southwest of Arequipa (2 hours and 30 minutes by car)
The central territory of Arequipa is located here. During the pre-Hispanic era, cultures like the Nasca, Paracas, Waris, Collaguas, Chuquibambas, and Incas lived in this pleasant valley. In 1539, the city of Camaná was founded under the name of “Villa Hermosa de Camaná” (Beautiful Villa of Camaná).
Tourist Attractions :
-Beach circuit
It is located 10 - 40 km. / 6 - 25 miles from the city of Camaná (5 to 20 minutes by car)
The beautiful beaches stretching to the Pacific Ocean are the best part of this area. These include la Punta, Cerrillos, el Chorro, las Cuevas, Quilca, la Miel, Arantas, Honoratos, La Playuela, etc. Some of these beaches are often visited by adventure sports lovers and fishing fans.
-José María Quimper Archeological Museum – El Cardo
Located in the District of El Cardo, 20 km / 12 miles from Camaná (20 minutes by car)
There, you can see 10.000 years of history through the uncountable objects among which appear vestiges of the Nasca, Paracas, Wari, Chuquibamba, Collagua, and Inca cultures.
-PucchunLakes
Enjoy watching a variety of wild bird species: ducks, antshrikes, moorehens, geese, flamingos, and more.
-Quilca
33 km / 21 miles from the city of Camaná (30 minutes by car)
It is the first southern Peruvian port, known for being the place where the hero of the War of the Pacific, Admiral Miguel Grau, defied the Chilean fleet commanded by Monitor Huáscar. It is ideal for underwater hunting and ecotourism.
-Inca Trails
Roads used in pre-Hispanic times. Today, bicyclists, walkers, and equestrians use them.
-Inca Observatory
Located on the right bank of the CamanáRiver at kilometer marker 826 of the Pan-American Highway South, you can enjoy nature and watch the waters flow into the Pacific Ocean .
CAYLLOMA
Tourist Attractions :
- Colca Valley
151 km / 94 miles north of Arequipa (3 hours by car)
The extreme northeastern section of the department of Arequipa is located here. The highest point is the inactive volcano MountAmpato (6288 masl), and the lowest at the confluence of the rivers Colca and Andamayo (970 masl). The Colca valley is 100 km in length and occupies only part of the Colca river basin, comprising the districts of Callalli and Huambo.
There are sixteen villages in this zone made up of descendents of the Collaguas and Cabanas tribes, inheritors of rich cultural traditions. The towns of Chivay and Cabanaconde are the most visited by tourists.
In the latter, you can watch condors soar from the Cruz de Condor (Condor Crossing) Lookout. The Colca valley forms part of the South American tectonic plate and contains the active volcano Sabancaya, located on the volcanic mountain Hualca Hualca. This valley possesses a great diversity of flora and fauna. Among the most representative species are the condor, the kestrel, the peregrine falcon, and the Andean tinamou.
-ColcaCanyon
42 km / 26 miles west of the town of Chivay (1 hour by car)
This is one of the deepest places on the planet, reaching a depth of 3400 meters / 11.155 feet at the lowest point in the location of Canco. On the right side, it is flanked by the Chila Cordillera (Bomboya, Serpregrina, Mismi, Queshihua) and on the other by Mount Hualca Hualca, Sabancaya, and Ampato. You can seeMountUbinas and beautiful MountCoropuna in the distance.
-ImataStoneForest
150 km / 93 miles northeast of Arequipa on the Puno highway (2 hours by car)
It is a complex of stone structures that have the appearance of a mysterious petrified forest. Erosion has shaped the stones, giving them a peculiar aspect. The place is easily accessible since it is located near the Arequipa – Juliaca highway.
-Ampato volcano
173 km / 108 miles north of Arequipa (5 hours by 4x4 vehicle)
At 6288 masl / 20.630 fasl, it is temporarily inactive and exhibits a perpetual snowcap at the height of 5000 meters / 16.404 feet. The foothills have scarce vegetation limited to bunch grass and hawthorn. At the top, from which you can see the ColcaCanyon, explorers found the “Dama de Ampato”, the mummified remains of a girl from the time of the Incas.
CASTILLA
-Tourist Attractions :
-Toro Muerto Petroglyphs
164 km / 102 miles northwest of Arequipa (2 hours and 30 minutes)
Leaving the Colca valley and passing through the Sihuas pampas is one way to get there. To arrive there directly from Arequipa, take the road to Lima and turn off at Corire (District of Uraca) and drive for 6 km / 4 miles.
The site consists of a group of carvings spread out over 5 km2 / 2 miles2.The majority of them are representations of human beings, animals, and plants, as well as geometric designs that seem to have been carved with sharpened stones. The techniques used varied from striking, scratching, chipping, to hammering, and their age could begin around 1100 A.D.
-Andagua, Valley of the Volcanoes
323 km / 201 miles northeast from Arequipa (9 hours by car)
The Valley of the Volcanoes was the center of strenuous convulsions in the volcanic mountain chain 200.000 years ago. We can still see today an extensive layer of lava over which around eighty-six smaller inactive volcanoes have emerged. It reaches an altitude of 3546 masl / 11.634 fasl.
CARAVELY
Tourist Attractions :
-Waca Gorge or Puerto Inca Archeological Site
417 km / 259 miles northwest of Arequipa (6 hours and 30 minutes by car);
Archeological complex known for its long period of human occupation since theremnants found there date from the pre-ceramic era to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, indicating an Inca presence. Some archeologists and historians think that from this site, one of the most important Inca trails started which crossed into the territory of Ayacucho and later reached Cusco.
ISLAY
Tourist Attractions :
-Lagunas de Mejia National Sanctuary
146 km / 91 miles southwest of Arequipa (2 hours and 10 minutes by car); 11 km / 7 miles south from the Mejia baths and 5 km / 3 miles south of Mollendo
It possesses an area of 691 hectares and includes different habitats comprising swamps, salt marshes, tortora reeds, hills, riverside estuaries, fields of salt grass, and sandy beaches. It is ideal for bird-watching, and 195 specieshave been registered: 75 are resident species (you can find them there all year long), 6 are ocean residing species, and 80 are migratory ones that travel
LA UNION
Tourist Attractions :
-Cotahuasi Valley and Canyon (Scenic Reserve of the CotahuasiSub-basin)
375 km / 233 miles northwest of Arequipa (9 hours by car / 12 hours by public bus)
Different altitudinal tiers have created the conditions for a large biological diversity with high indices of endemism in both the flora and fauna. The CotahuasiCanyon includes twelve life zones and three ecological regions. It is considered the deepest in Peru (3535 m / 11.598 feet).
