Arequipa sits at 2,335 metres, a thousand lower than Cusco, which makes it a smart place to acclimatise. The city was built from sillar, a white volcanic stone that gives it both its brightness and its nickname. At the end of almost any street the cone of El Misti appears, with Chachani and Pichu Pichu alongside.
Santa Catalina
The Santa Catalina monastery is the first thing to see. It is not a building but a walled citadel of twenty thousand square metres, with named streets, squares and kitchens, where the daughters of the wealthiest criollo families lived in enclosure for almost four centuries. The walls are painted in indigo and ochre and the visit takes at least two hours. Go in the last part of the afternoon if you can, when the light is low.
Nearby, the Museo Santuarios Andinos displays Juanita, the mummy of a girl sacrificed on the summit of Ampato around 1450 and preserved by the ice — one of the most important archaeological finds in the Andes.
The Colca
The Colca Canyon lies about four hours away by road and reaches more than twice the depth of the Grand Canyon. The route crosses the Salinas y Aguada Blanca reserve, where vicuñas graze, and passes a viewpoint at 4,910 metres before dropping into Chivay.
The landmark is the Cruz del Cóndor. By mid-morning thermals begin rising up the canyon walls and Andean condors — three metres across — glide out very close to the viewpoint. It is not guaranteed, but in the dry season it is routine. Aim to arrive before half past eight.
The valley has been terraced since pre-Inca times and is still farmed. The villages of Yanque, Maca and Cabanaconde keep their colonial churches and their own rhythm; from Cabanaconde the descent to the Sangalle oasis, at the canyon floor, is a demanding two-day walk. Chivay has hot springs that are very welcome on the way back.
The Arequipa table
Arequipa defends its cooking with regional pride. In the picanterías you will find rocoto relleno, Sunday pork adobo, chupe de camarones made with river prawns from the Majes, and solterito, a cold salad of broad beans, cheese and olives.
Planning the days
Two nights in the city and then out to the canyon is the usual pattern. The classic two-day circuit sleeps in Chivay, rises early for the Cruz del Cóndor and returns in the afternoon; three days let you go down to Cabanaconde without rushing. Many travellers continue from Arequipa to Puno by road across the altiplano in about six hours, which fits neatly before Lake Titicaca.