Arequipa and the Colca Canyon: a first-timer's guide

Why go

Arequipa feels different from the rest of Peru: proud, sunny and elegant, with its own way of cooking and speaking. At about 2,300 metres it is also an excellent halfway step for your body between the coast and the high Andes, before you go on to Colca, Puno or Cusco.

Getting your bearings

The **Plaza de Armas** is one of the finest in South America, lined with arcades and the long white **Cathedral**, with volcanoes behind. A few blocks north, the **Santa Catalina Monastery** is a walled city within the city, a maze of painted streets, courtyards and cells where nuns lived in seclusion for centuries. Across the river, the district of **Yanahuara** has a viewpoint with sillar arches framing El Misti. The **San Camilo Market** is the place for fruit, cheese and juices.

What to do

Spend a long morning at Santa Catalina, then visit the **Museo Santuarios Andinos**, home to Juanita, an Inca child offering found frozen on the summit of Ampato volcano. See the carved façade of **La Compañía** church and its cloisters, and the colonial mansion **Casa del Moral**. Take a walk out to the **Mundo Alpaca** centre or the **Sabandía** mill in the countryside. Fit, acclimatised climbers can tackle **El Misti** or **Chachani** with a licensed guide.

Food and drink

Arequipa is famous for its **picanterías**, traditional lunchtime restaurants serving **rocoto relleno** (stuffed hot pepper), **chupe de camarones** (river shrimp chowder), **adobo** on Sundays and **queso helado**, a cinnamon ice cream sold in the plazas. Wash it down with **chicha de jora**, a fermented corn drink.

The Colca Canyon

Colca is one of the deepest canyons in the world. The road from Arequipa climbs over a high pass, often above 4,800 metres, with vicuñas grazing beside the road, before dropping to **Chivay**, a market town with hot springs. Along the canyon, villages such as **Yanque**, **Maca** and **Cabanaconde** have colonial churches and pre Inca terraces. At the **Cruz del Cóndor** viewpoint, condors rise on the morning thermals, usually best between about eight and ten in the morning and most reliable in the dry season.

Tours run as long day trips or two day trips with a night in Chivay. Hikers can descend from Cabanaconde to the **Sangalle oasis** at the bottom of the canyon, a hard climb back up.

Getting there

Arequipa has direct flights from Lima and Cusco, and comfortable long distance buses run along the Panamericana from Lima and up from the coast. Buses also link the city with Puno and Chivay, taking several hours across the high plateau.

Safety and health

Arequipa is one of Peru's calmer cities, but normal care with bags and taxis applies. The Colca pass is very high, so drink water and take it slowly if you come straight from the coast.

Where to stay

Stay in or near the historic centre for walking access, or in Yanahuara and Selva Alegre for quieter streets. In Colca, Chivay is practical, while Yanque has lodges with canyon views and hot springs.