Majes Valley - a full day tour
At 8am we leave from Arequipa in our private 4WD. after 3 hours travel to west an asphalted road running through the impressive desert zone giving a view of all of Arequipa's volcanoes: El Misti, Chachani, El Ampato and Coropuna. We will arrive to Corire - Majes valley is 170 km from Arequipa, closer the left side of the river is located the Toro Muerto petroglyphs, is a volcanic rock area over approximately 5 km2, most probably the result of violent eruptions of the Coropuna and Chachani volcanoes. Consist of carved boulders strewn over hot desert. More than a thousand rocks of all sizes and shapes have been crudely, yet strikingly, engraved with a wide variety of distinct representations. No archaeological remains have been directly associated with these pictures they date from between 1000 and 1500 years ago, largely attributed to the Wari culture, though with probable additions during subsequent Chuquibambas and Inca periods of domination in the region. The engravings include images of humans, snakes, llamas, deer, parrots, sun discs and simple geometric motifs. Some of the figures appear to be dancing; others look like spacemen with large round helmets - obvious potential for the author Eric Von Daniken extraterrestrial musings.
Also we go to see pre Inca tombs, as well as Tracks of the Dinosaurs, located between Corire and Aplao (700m). After expend 4 hours explorer this place, we lunched at Punta Colorada, the most famous place in the area for prawns, before returning to the South Panamerican highway and come back to Arequipa.
| TOUR SCHEDULE & COST | ||
| DATE | TOUR | COST |
| Any day | Toro Muerto Petroglyphs - Majes valley | US$75 per person |
| Discount 5%: South American Explorers Club Members Discount 10%: Tour Operators or Travel Agencies Only Students: US$5 discount only with valid green ISIC card |
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| Minimum 2 Paricipants | ||
| Group size: 8 participants per guide | ||
| Private service for organized groups departs any day. Highly recommended. Best value. | ||
Included
- English speaking guide
- Private van (Round trip)
- Entrace to the archaeological site
- Lunch.
Departures
Daily departures are available all year.
Private Service
With this service, is comfortable as possible and you can explore much more every part of this volcanic rock forest in the middle of the desert.
Not Included
- Alcoholics drinks
- Breakfast on the first day
- Tips for guide and camp staff.
What You Need To Bring/Carry
- Sweater and jacket (something warm)
- Bottle of water
- Hat or cap to protect you from the sun
- Sun block (sun protection cream)
- Insect repellent
- Toiletries, towel and toilet paper
- Selection of small snacks, chocolate, dried fruit, biscuits etc,
- Camera, plenty of film and spare batteries
- Sunglasses
- Optional: walking sticks or poles (rubber covers required in order not to damage the Inca Trail).
