Colca Canyon: Condors Above the World's Deepest Gorge
The Colca Canyon — 160 km from Arequipa — is one of the world's deepest canyons (3,400m deep at maximum) and the best place on Earth to see Andean condors soaring at close range; the canyon's Inca terraces and traditional Collagua communities add cultural depth to the natural spectacle
Arequipa Cuisine: Peru's Second Capital of Gastronomy
Arequipa has Peru's most distinctive regional cuisine — the picanterías (traditional restaurants) serving rocoto relleno, cuy chactado, and chupe de camarones are the heartbeat of a food culture considered the most complex in the Andes
Collagua Textiles: The Living Art of the Colca Valley
The Collagua and Cabana communities of the Colca valley — part of the Arequipa region — maintain one of the most extraordinary living textile traditions in the Andes; the embroidered costumes, the distinctive hats, and the weaving techniques are UNESCO-recognised
Climbing El Misti: The Volcano Above Arequipa
El Misti — the 5,822m active volcano that defines Arequipa's skyline — is one of the world's most climbed high-altitude volcanoes; the 2-day guided ascent from base camp to the sulphurous crater offers extraordinary views over the Atacama desert and the Andean chain
Arequipa's Mestizo Baroque: Churches of Sillar Stone
Arequipa's colonial churches — built from white sillar volcanic stone by indigenous artisans incorporating their own symbolic vocabulary — created the 'mestizo baroque' style: a unique blend of Spanish baroque and Andean cosmology
Arequipa: Peru's White City Under Three Volcanoes
Arequipa — Peru's second city, at 2,335m — is built almost entirely from white sillar volcanic stone; the UNESCO-listed historic centre, the Santa Catalina Convent, and the three volcanoes (Misti, Chachani, El Misti) that frame the city make it one of South America's most beautiful
Santa Catalina: The City Within the City
The Monasterio de Santa Catalina — a 20,000 m² enclosed convent in the heart of Arequipa — is one of the world's most extraordinary historic sites; the painted streets, the orange and blue walls, the flower-filled courtyards, and the 400 years of cloistered women's lives create an incomparable experience
Juanita: The Inca Ice Maiden of Arequipa
The Museo Santuarios Andinos in Arequipa houses 'Juanita' — the perfectly preserved frozen mummy of a 14-year-old Inca girl sacrificed on the Ampato volcano circa 1450 CE; one of the best-preserved pre-Columbian human remains in the world