Cruz del Cóndor

Cruz del Cóndor sits on the rim of the Colca canyon at about 3,600 metres, roughly 1,200 metres above the river, and the reason everyone stops there is thermal. Condors roost on the canyon walls overnight and, as the sun warms the rock through the morning, rising air lets them climb without effort; they spiral up past the viewpoint, often at eye level and sometimes within a few metres, before heading out to forage. The Andean condor has a wingspan over three metres and is among the largest flying birds in the world, and seeing one that close is genuinely striking. The window is roughly eight to ten in the morning and the birds do not appear every day - numbers vary with weather, season and how many are using that stretch of wall. The viewpoint is crowded with tour buses in that window, and vendors line the approach. The Colca tourist ticket is checked.

What you actually see

• The condors - spiralling up on the thermals, often at eye level.
• The canyon - the Colca about 1,200 metres below the rim.
• The morning window - roughly eight to ten, when the thermals build.
• The crowd - tour buses arriving in the same two-hour window.

When to go

April to November, between about eight and ten in the morning. Birds are not guaranteed on any given day and numbers vary. Arrive early for a place at the rail.

Honest expectations

The condors do not appear every morning and some visitors see nothing. Extremely crowded in the viewing window. The Colca tourist ticket is a separate compulsory charge. At 3,600 metres, cold and windy before the sun is up.

Nearby

Cabanaconde and the trail into the canyon are west; Chivay and the hot springs are east.