Located at 180 km (111.8 miles) north of Arequipa, Colca Valley was used to be called the Valley of the Collaguas which is formed by the river of the same name. Collaguas river is formed by two rivers called Majes and Camana.

The Collaguas were a pre-Inca tribe that lived in this area. Accomplished artists in textiles and stone carvings, during the colonial period, they worked as bricklayers and "hayllis" composers. The current residents of this valley are heirs of the ancient collaguas crafts.

The valley is enclosed before the canyon and runs from east  to west. The cold waters from the Colca River are coming from the top of the mountains and on the side banks of the river is a beautiful scenery and lots of cultural activity.

We can visit the carved rocks of Sumbay and Toro Muerto, where residents pre-dating the Collaguas left their mark in their drawings of dancers with strange headdresses, animals, condors and other figures that still mystify us today.

Pre-Incas and Incas inhabitants of this valley used deposits known as "collcas" to store grain. The valley took its name as a result of the great number of these collcas. Lots of these collcas can be visited and one of the most important to visit is the Pumunuta collca, which is located in a frozen cave.

Influenced by colonialization and religion, the ethnic architecture make the villages throughout the Colca Valley rich in beauty and charm. The following towns are recommended to visit: Chivay, Cabanaconde, Huambo, Maca, Achoma, Yunque, Lari, Coporaque.

In this whole region the beauty of the landscape is formed by "andenes" (series of steps on the hills used for sowing, technique used from the times of the Incas, some with artificial irrigation and others for effects of the rains.)

Here you can also appreciate volcanos and snowy mountains such as Ampato 6,310 meters above sea level (20,702 feet), Coropuna 6,425 meters above sea level (21,079 feet), Solimana 6,117 meters above sea level (20,068 feet), and the Huallahualca 5,025 meters above sea level (16,468 feet), etc.

On October 13th, 1995, John Reinhard and Antonio Chavez from the Catholic University of Arequipa discovered, in the peak of the Ampato Mountain, three mummies very well conserved because of the freezing temperature, they thought it were Inca's sacrifices. The principal mummy was a maid, called "Juanita", but they changed the name into "La Dama de Ampato",  you can visit it now at the Museum inside of this university.

To visit this area, you can go by car from Arequipa with a tourist guide; the visit will pass through the National Reserves of Salinas, Aguada Blanca and the Pampa Cañahuas. Also you can take a tour by plane that overfly the area. You can find lodgings in Chivay and Achoma.

It is advised to make your visit to this area not shorter then two days, try to avoid the rainy season from December till March.

National Reservation of Salinas and Aguada Blanca 

Location: Department of Arequipa, provinces of Cailloma and Arequipa. 
Area: 336,000 hectares. 
Creation: August 1979. 

Conservation and protection unit of the flora and fauna, beautiful landscapes, geologic formations of the area and preservation of highland species. 

Aguada Blanca Dam is located behind Misti Volcano (according to the city of Arequipa), in an extensive flatness at 4,000 meters above sea level (13,123 feet). This dam forms a great artificial lake with the waters of Blanco River. Behind the Pichupichu Volcano also exists the Salinas Lagoon. Both are places where a great population of birds rest, among those one of the most important are the "parihuanas" flamingos (Phoeneicopterux Tuber) keeping a close relation with the migration of the Reservation of the Mejía Lagoons. 

Inside this reservation is located Pampa Cañahuas, almost behind the Chachani Volcano, where the tarucas (Hippocamelus Antisiencis) are protected (tarucas are deers of a small size that are in a vulnerable situation). There are also great quantity of vicuñas in wild life. 

The vicuña (Vicugna Vicugna) is a mammalian camalidae, that inhabits the high mountains of the Andes. It has 95 cm height and 55 kilos weight on the average, long neck and elegant figure. It is covered with a short frizzy wool (reddish wheat color) of extraordinary quality. It lives up to 15 years and can be tamed. 

It was in extinction danger due to their merciless hunt. Their wool is the finest textile fiber in the world, very well appreciated in the international market. It is represented in the National Shield of Peru like the symbol of the wealth of the animal kingdom.

The vicuña is covered with a remarkably long, fine, soft, and lustrous coat that varies in colour from light cinnamon to a pale white, with long white fleece hanging from the lower flanks and the base of the neck. The annual yield of fleece sheared from domesticated vicuñas shows a wide range of from 85 to 550 g (3 to 20 ounces) per animal. Vicuña fibre is strong and resilient, but it is highly sensitive to chemicals and is generally used in its natural colour. The costly fibre is made into high-priced coats, dressing gowns, and shawls.

The dense, silky fleece of the vicuña, once reserved for the Incan nobility, provides excellent insulation against the temperature fluctuations the animal encounters in its natural habitat: semiarid grasslands in the central Andes at altitudes of 3,600-4,800 m (12,000-16,000 feet).

A swift, graceful animal, the vicuña is the smallest of the camelids, with a shoulder height of about 90 cm (36 inches) and a weight of about 50 kg (110 pounds). When in danger, they emit a high, clear whistle. Vision and hearing are more highly developed than their sense of smell.

Like guanacos, vicuñas are wild, with temperaments that preclude domestication. The animals graze on low grasses and ruminate while resting. They travel in small bands of females, usually led by a male who acts as lookout and defends his territory against intruders. Vicuñas use communal dung heaps to mark their territorial boundaries. They spit frequently and noisily, like all lamoids. A single young, born in February about 11 months after the parents have mated, remains close to the mother for at least 10 months. The life expectancy is about 15 to 20 years.

Vicuñas have been hunted for centuries with a resulting decline in numbers. The Inca rounded the animals up, sheared their wool, and then released them; they also killed some for meat. In Spanish colonial times greater numbers of the animals were hunted and killed, and though protective legislation was introduced in the 19th century, poaching continued to reduce their total numbers, which declined from a million in Incan times to only about 10,000 by the late 1960s. Subsequent conservation efforts managed to increase the population to more than 80,000 by the late 20th century. The vicuña is listed as vulnerable in the Red Data Book and is now protected effectively in South American countries.