Stories: Luxury Travel Peru

Among the highlights of visiting the Colca Canyon in southern Peru are majestic condors, adventure activities like trekking, pre-Inca archaeology and terracing, and Colca Canyon churches from the colonial era. For the cultural connoisseur the quaint villages and period buildings are destinations in their own right, and for the outdoor enthusiast they make for delightful stops to the starting point of hikes or horseback rides. Whichever kind of traveler you are, Aracari can arrange the perfect tailormade trip to Peru for you to visit the Colca Canyon churches. Colca Canyon Churches A result of the Spanish conquest, and the resettlement of the indigenous people in the 16th century there are 15 churches in small towns along the Colca River. The valley's village churches attest to the wealth of the Caylloma silver and gold mines that were established during the Colonial period, and many of them are architectural gems filled with valuable art. The prevailing Catholic faith keeps pre-Colombian elements alive with each bearing both its ornate Hispanic inheritance and the architectural sobriety of volcanic stone. From East to West, they are located in Callalli, Sibayo, Canocota, Tuti, Chivay, Corporaque, Yanque, Ichupampa, Achoma, Lari, Maca, Madrigal, Pinchollo, Tapay, and Cabanaconde. The churches were all built in the same style, what has become known as Andean baroque. Mixing colonial and indigenous elements, they include large sillar (volcanic stone) buildings, the floor shaped in the form of a cross, with the front entrance between two square bell towers complete with small pillars, a bell, and a cupola. Inside, the syncretism, or mix between Inca and Catholic beliefs manifests further in the colorful murals detailed with animals native to the area, mountains and agricultural staples like corn appearing in many of the paintings. Visiting the Colca Canyon Churches With churches on both sides of the river, a visit to some (or all if you're feeling ambitious) is seamless on a