7 Hours Of Paleolithic And Wildlife Tour In Arequipa
Pampas Cañahuas and Sumbay cave paintings are located in the National Reserve of Aguada Blanca and Salinas, behind Misti and Chachani volcano and just 87km on the new way from Arequipa to Puno or Cusco (15°58'33.12"S - 71°20'57.43"O).
Pampas Cañahuas is the home for the rare wild animal as know Vicuña (vicugna). The Vicuña lives between 3800 - 4800m on the plateaus and slopes of the Andes Mountains. These wonderful animals are prohibit to be domesticated and are protected by Peruvian laws, because this animal produce extremely finest wool witch cost very expensive.
Arequipa territory has great historic past. The first settlements on this zone data from Paleolithic Era (6000 - 8000 BC).
Sumbay cave keeps rupestrian rock arts, where is possible to see on the walls how the first humans on this part of the highlands practice to hunt animal such as camelidae (Huanacos, Vicuñas), foxes, pumas, deers and other extinct animals running away. Also this rupestrian art is good resources to know more of Arequipa history.
Inside of Sumbay cave is possible to see some tools as scrapers, disc shaped knives and burins for sewing.
PERU ADVENTURE TOURS invite you to visit Pampas Cañahuas and Sumbay caves - Rock Art guided by professional and authorized tour guides and private van.
TOUR ITINERARY OF PAMPAS CAÑAHUAS & SUMBAY CAVE PAINTINGS
This tour departure at 8AM from your hotel by private van and tourist guide. We go first to Yanahuara main square and visit the nice church of Yanahuara district. Keep going we will stop in another viewpoint in Carmen alto to have great view of Chilina Valley and Chili River, from this point you can get the best pictures of Misti volcano and Chachani snow-peak.
We drive along the road to Puno through farming town of Yura, from here is just uphill passing small cactus forest on the slopes of Chachani Mountain. After 1 hours of drive arrive to Pampas Cañahuas (4200M), this area is located inside the National Reserve of Aguada Blanca. Here you will observe plenty of elegant and rarely animals as know Vicuña (Vicugna), The Vicuñas are grazing along the plateaus on the back site of Chachani.
Keep driving arrive to Patawasi village and meet farmers keeping their Alpacas and Llamas on the slopes of the hills. Continue our tour we go to visit the most interesting point. Sumbay painting caves is located on the left side of the road, to get there we take we drive about half hour on gravel road to abandoned/ghost town of Sumbay.
Walk through nice rock formations and narrow rocky canyon until to the cave and finally you will find the rupestrian rock arts, these represent animals as Vicuñas, Llamas, Pumas, Ñandu - Also are figures of humans hunting and rare figures carved on the walls.
We stay around two hours in these places and then we go to visit some groups of Alpacas and Llamas and our guide will show you some daily customs about Andean people of this zone.
Lunch is excluded, but can be taken at Patawasi village with great view of of surrounding mountains as Chachani, and Misti.
At 1PM we return by the same road to Arequipa, but 40 minutes before Arequipa we take dirt road to Quiscos and Yura Viejo valley. These valleys are located on the north site of Chachani and between volcanic hills. This is very reach valley where farmers work the same fields 3-4 times per year.
Around 3PM return to your hotel in Arequipa and end of service.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
The best season to visit the caves is between April to December, especially on April because is the season when the Vicuñas birth and the surrounding volcanoes and mountains are covered with snow.
