Colca Churches

Throughout the whole Colca valley in Peru are 26 churches, some of them with unique characteristics.

The churches recently restored by the Spanish Cooperation got lifted between the eighteenth centuries and almost all posses an andean baroque style.

Some of them like Yanque, form part of the traditional tourist ride to the Cruz del Condor, that can be visited in special programs that operators of Chivay offer, such as Callalli and Sibayo at the top of the canyon; Lari, known as the Cathedral of the Colca, and the biggest in the Colca, the Maca that is made of sillar stone or Coporaque, which is the oldest church in the valley and the first church of the Franciscans in Peru.

In general, the churches have polychrome altarpieces, santos wood carvings, gold leaf altars and beautiful murals that enrich the travel experience in the Colca.

Useful tips

  • Access to most churches is free.
  • Almost all of them are accessible from Chivay, being able to own mobility or some local operator.

iglesia-de-Callalli