Colca Canyon drops about 3,270 m - one of the deepest canyons on Earth - through pre-Inca farming terraces on the upper slopes down to the Colca River. Orbit the stepped walls, toggle the terrace accents, and reveal the condor markers over the gorge.
Published figures: about 3,270 m deep and 100 km long in the Arequipa region of southern Peru; carved by the Colca River; pre-Inca terraces built by the Collagua and Cabana peoples are still farmed today; Andean condors soar the rim near the Cruz del Condor viewpoint with a wingspan up to about 3.2 m.
Drag to orbit and scroll or pinch to zoom. Everything renders on your device with WebGL.
Colca Canyon 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows Colca Canyon as a single deep gorge with stepped agricultural terraces on the upper slopes and bare rock walls below them down to the Colca River. Toggle the terrace accents to make each farmed shelf stand out, or reveal condor markers soaring above the gorge near the Cruz del Condor viewpoint.
The canyon reaches about 3,270 m deep along roughly 100 km in the Arequipa region of southern Peru, making it one of the deepest canyons on Earth. The Colca River carved it, and the upper slopes still carry pre-Inca agricultural terraces built by the Collagua and Cabana peoples - some have been farmed continuously for more than 1,000 years. At the Cruz del Condor viewpoint, Andean condors ride the rising air over the gorge; their wingspan of up to about 3.2 m is the widest of any living flying bird.
- Toggle terrace accents to highlight the farmed shelves on the upper walls
- Toggle condor markers over the gorge near the Cruz del Condor viewpoint
- Read depth, length, terrace, and condor figures in the panel
- See the staircase of terraces above the smooth, steep rock below them
- Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Depth | about 3,270 m (10,725 ft) - one of the world's deepest canyons |
| Length | about 100 km |
| Location | Arequipa region, southern Peru |
| Carved by | the Colca River |
| Terraces | pre-Inca, built by the Collagua and Cabana peoples - some still farmed after 1,000+ years |
| Condors | Cruz del Condor viewpoint - Andean condor wingspan up to about 3.2 m, the widest of any flying bird |
For other deep-gorge extremes, open the Grand Canyon 3D Explorer (rock-layer stack) or the Fish River Canyon 3D Explorer (rift-style gorge).
The terraced walls, gorge profile, and condor markers are drawn right in your browser with WebGL, so orbiting the 100 km gorge stays smooth without a server round-trip. The vendored three.js engine behind the scene is a one-time download of roughly 0.7 MB, and your browser keeps it cached, so returning to explore the terraces again loads instantly.
This is an educational approximation - the terrace steps, gorge profile, and condor markers are procedural teaching cues, not survey geology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How deep is Colca Canyon?
About 3,270 m (10,725 ft) at its deepest, along roughly 100 km in the Arequipa region of southern Peru - one of the deepest canyons on Earth.
What carved Colca Canyon?
The Colca River, cutting through the Andes over a long span of geologic time.
What are the terraces on the canyon walls?
Pre-Inca agricultural terraces built by the Collagua and Cabana peoples. Some have been farmed continuously for more than 1,000 years.
Where can I see Andean condors at Colca Canyon?
The Cruz del Condor viewpoint is the most visited spot - condors ride rising air currents over the gorge, with a wingspan up to about 3.2 m, the widest of any flying bird.
Is Colca Canyon deeper than the Grand Canyon?
Yes - at about 3,270 m it is roughly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon's approximately 1.86 km.
Is this a geological simulation?
No. It is an educational explorer using published figures - the terrace steps, gorge profile, and condor markers are procedural teaching cues.