Arequipa

Arequipa is known as the “White City”, named for the white sillar stone constructed buildings in the city center, is the second largest city in Peru. It’s a grand colonial town, with its beautiful Plaza de Armas, Santa Catalina Monastery, and colonial streets filled with antiques, fine restaurants, handicrafts, and some of the finest Alpaca clothing and cloth to be found in Peru.

Three active volcanoes loom impressively over the city, and make a fantastic backdrop, with El Misti rising to 19,092ft visible across the entire city.

One of Arequipa's major attractions is the beautiful Santa Catalina Convent, considered “a small city within a city”. Also, certainly worth a visit is the Andean Sanctuaries Museum of the Santa Maria Catholic University (UCSM) which houses the Juanita Mummy, also known as the Lady of Ampato. This mummy is the remains of a young girl which endured in a frozen condition for 500 years at the peak of the snow-capped Ampato Volcano.

Surrounded by broad countryside and sweeping agricultural fields, offering magnificent views of the volcanoes, Arequipa makes for a wonderful visit during your time in Peru. For more information about journeying through Arequipa and the Colca Canyon with Kuoda Travel, visit our Earth, water and sky private travel sample itinerary.

Colca Canyon

The Colca Canyon is located just 100 miles (160kms) northwest from Arequipa and is one of the deepest canyons in the world, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, although the canyon walls are not vertical.

The Colca Canyon is culturally rich, with many Andean communities calling the canyon home. Many of these local people still live traditionally in the valley and continue to cultivate the pre-Inca agricultural terraces. The largest town in the canyon is named Chivay, and this is a great place to relax while taking a dip in the La Calera hot springs.

The Andean Condor, Vultur gryphus, lives in the canyon, and can be seen in majestic flight from the lookout "Cruz del Condor", best seen in the early morning and late afternoon.

Atractions & activities:

• City tours
• Colonial architecture & stunning Churches
• Tours & Trekking in the countryside
• Climbing El Misti & Chachani Volcanoes
• River Rafting
• The petroglyphs of Toro Muerto
• The Salinas & Aguada
• Blanca National Reserve