Originally Posted by
CO FF
Re going condor spotting: it's 200km from Arequipa to the Mirador Cruz del Condor. Is that more than a 3-hour drive? My thinking initially was to hire someone to pick us up at 4am, arrive at Cabanaconde around 7:30 (Google Maps says it's a 3h15m drive via the PanAmerica Sur/1SE), and see the condors that morning. In doing more websurfing, I've seen the comment that the roads there are not safe at night (as roads - not for any other reason).
The road from Arequipa city to Chivay is good, pavement, but there are many curves and the road is uphill, so it doesn't go too fast. But then from Chivay to Cabanaconde, it's kind of dirt road. Cars go even slower. Definitely you can't go directly from Arequipa to Cabanaconde, it's too much, and it is impossible to do in 4 hours. It's far more, day or night. Don't trust in Google this time.
Besides the trip from Arequipa to Chivay is an experience itself. You will surround the main volcanos, see free vicuņas, llamas farms, ponds, lagoons, snowy mountains from the highest view point (almost 5000mt over the sea), and the entrance to Colca valley is another spectacle.
Though I usually travel independent, I went to Colca with friends on an organized tour in 2011. We departed 7am aprox from Arequipa and arrived to Chivay at 1pm (but we did like 4 stops to watch what I mentioned). Next day they picked us at 6am, did 3 stops along the valley and arrived to Cabanaconde at 10:30am aprox.
I think you must do the trips by day. I suggest you do more research about it. All organized tours do this trip staying one night in Chivay, you should do similar time even if you hire a private car/driver.