peru arequipa

A skyline featuring three towering volcanoes and buildings constructed from their striking white rock creates one of South America's most beautiful urban areas.

The looming Misti volcano provides a dramatic backdrop for Arequipa, nicknamed ‘the White City' after its pale buildings. Set at 2300m above sea level, surrounded by desert and Andean peaks, it is a remarkably busy and prosperous town, just a stone's throw from the awesome Colca Valley.

With its cobbled streets full of old churches and grand houses, Arequipa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its architecture: a blend of colonial European style with native techniques and masonry. A highlight is the ‘city within a city' - the convent of Santa Catalina, home to an order of nuns for 400 years.

A picturesque city with a rich cultural heritage, Arequipa is a beautiful historical town with sights, smells, sounds and tastes not to be missed.