Cruz del Condor, or Condor Cross Lookout, at a point 1,200m/3,900 ft above the depths of Colca Canyon, is the finest spot in the world to view giant South American condors. It’s a spine-tingling experience to see the world’s largest birds (with wingspans reaching 3.5m/11.5 ft) up close as they soar just overhead every morning on their way down river in search of food. The route to Cruz del Condor is spectacular, winding along the canyon and past historic Colca villages, markets and colonial churches. You’ll see groups of Cabana and Collagua women in their spectacular native dress, performing traditional dances in public squares.

Horses are still a principal means of transportation through Colca Valley, and on horseback you’ll see the valley’s beauty and culture up close and at your own speed. Take gentle rides past picturesque traditional villages on the right bank of Colca Canyon (Sacsayhuamán, Coporaque & Ichupampa), stopping en route to see curious archaeological legacies of Incan and pre-Incan civilizations, colonial churches, and the spectacular agricultural terraces that date back more than 1,000 years.

By horseback you’ll be rewarded with singular views of the canyon, river and valley – views impossible to come by from the seat of a van or bus.

Colca is renowned for the incredibly intricate and colorful embroidery of the traditional dress, worn by Collagua and Cabana women. Take a hands-on embroidery workshop in a cooperative in a local village and have the unique opportunity to learn to sew, dye and employ other ancient methods for working with alpaca and sheep’s wool. A local artisan is also in attendance daily in the fireplace lounge of the hotel, embroidering the hats, sashes, belts and other items of local Colca dress (on sale).

The Incas were dedicated stargazers, looking to the heavens to devise their agricultural calendars as well as inform their sophisticated cosmology. The Andean sky over Colca Valley is as deep, dark and as unpolluted by artificial light as any place you’ll find.

Casa Andina’s onsite domed Maria Reiche Planetarium features daily evening programs (“Colca: Deep Canyon, Deep Sky”), in both Spanish and English, focusing on Inca cosmology and constellations of the Southern Hemisphere. Trained astronomy guides also instruct guests in observing the vast night sky, moon and stars, including sights only visible in the Southern Hemisphere, such as the legendary Southern Cross, Centaurus, and the Southern Milky Way – a unique opportunity for most visitors.

A moderate hike from Canocota to Chivay, along an ancient horse trail parallel to the Colca River, from which you’ll be able to observe the first geological transformations caused by the river on the canyon walls