Arequipa has a special attraction for naturalists, as it enables visitors to enter some of the most spectacular areas of southern Peru. The National Sanctuary of the Mejía Lakes is made up of floodlands covered with swamp-like vegetation and totora reeds which serve as a haven and a resting place for dozens of resident and migratory bird species.
The Salinas & Aguada Blanca Reserve is an ideal spot for watching waterfowl, vicuña herds and occasionally guanacos (Lama guanicoe). The region features sweeping high-Andean meadows, marshlands and flooded areas with peculiar geological formations created by wind erosion (the Maucarquipa and Puruña stone formations).
The area, which is fringed by a vast high Andean plain, is split by the Colca River. The bird species in the valley are similar to species that inhabit steppes elsewhere in the Peruvian highlands. However, the cropfields and steep cliffs afford the possibility of sighting fascinating species not to be found anywhere else, such as the majestic Andean condor, the largest bird on Earth capable of flight, which is found in the part of the valley called the Cruz del Condor, near the village of Cabanaconde.
Climate:
The climate is dry and balmy, sunny by day and frigid at night, with average annual temperatures of 20°C. The best time of year for birdwatching in the Mejía Lakes area is in summer in the Southern Hemisphere (from January to March).
Access:
The Mejía Lakes lie 150 km or two hours from Arequipa, south of the Tambo River delta. Access to Salinas & Aguada Blanca is via the dirt roads that run from Arequipa to the Colca Valley (150 km or three hours) or the city of Puno. The Puno route is best, running through a vast queñual forest (Chiguata, 3,200 masl) and continues on to the vast Lake Salinas.
