Chivay is a town in southern Peru's Colca Valley. It's the gateway to the deep Colca Canyon, comprising a green valley and remote traditional villages with terraced agriculture that pre-dates the Incas, has a traditional market town set in a picturesque patchwork of agricultural farmlands, constitutes the main hub of the Colca Valley.  Located at about 3,600 m above sea level (12,000 ft), it lies upstream of the renowned Colca Canyon.