Coporaque

Across the river from Chivay [1] and about eight kilometers west is the tiny village of Coporaque. There are no services here, and the only phone in the area is the plaza’s pay phone (the two hotels listed have radios only).

Coporaque’s church, Santiago Apóstol, was built in 1569 and is the oldest in the valley. Its false balconies seem almost medieval, and the towers contain bells said to be melted from the copper palace of a Collagua princess, Mama Yacchi. Inside there is a fascinating and primitive altar and a variety of 16th-century images. Around the corner is the facade of La Capilla de San Sebastián.

Accommodations and Food

Some of the best food in Colca Canyon [2] is cooked at La Casa de Mama Yacchi (Arequipa tel. 054/24-1206, www.lacasademamayacchi.com [3], US$40 s, US$52 d with breakfast). This hotel is within walking distance from Coporaque’s main square and is a great base for day hikes through the Colca Valley. The whitewashed rooms are comfortable and clean, with great valley views. The kitchen churns out a variety of fresh salads, perfectly cooked meat dishes, and homemade sauces—the US$5 lunch buffet is an excellent value. An unlikely staff member is Manchita, the pet llama who greets guests at the front door.

Colca Lodge (in Arequipa Jerusalén 212, tel. 054/20-2587, www.colca-lodge.com [4], US$82 s, US$92 d with breakfast) has the distinct advantage of being the only place in Colca [2] to have world-class thermal baths. The hotel, owned by Grupo Inca, has a fabulous riverside location and hands out fishing poles and floatable duckies for guests who want to play.

The rooms have wood floors, lofts, and excellent river views. There are also suites with fireplaces and family cottages. The restaurant is overseen by Arequipa [5]’s acclaimed Zig Zag restaurant, and the buffet breakfast is sensational. Upstairs, the lounge, with a fireplace and a cozy bar, has a nightly informational slide show.

The hotel can arrange horseback rides and walking tours to the ruins of Uyu Uyu, the Inca bridge, and Yanque [6]. But its best feature lies down a stone trail near the river. There, boiling hot springs bubble into stone pools and steam into the cool river air. Nonguests have access to the baths, open 24 hours a day, if they buy a lunch or dinner or pay US$10–15.