Destination: Arequipa

A short flight from Lima to Arequipa is the beginning of a fascinating journey through a Peruvian region that offers a great variety of travel experiences. Arequipa, known as the White City because of its buildings built almost entirely with sillar, a white volcanic rock, is a UNESCO World Cultural Site. Arequipa is a charming city with centuries-old churches, monasteries, and mansions that are testimony of its rich past, such as the Monastery of Santa Catalina, a XVI century walled citadel, a small city within the city. The city of Arequipa is the start point to get on trips to awesome natural settings.

Many outdoor and cultural adventures can also be enjoyed beyond Arequipa City, such as walking among 5,000 stones carved with anthropomorphic petroglyphs at Toro Muerto; traveling through awe-inspiring places such as the Valley of the Volcanoes, a moonlike landscape of 80 small volcanoes. Furthermore, the Cotahuasi and Colca, the World's deepest canyons, 3,400m deep and surrounded by sharp snow-capped peaks such as the Mismi, whose melted snow grow to be the great Amazon River. Visitors can admire the depth of the canyons and see the Andean condor fly, the largest flying bird on Earth, with a wingspan of more than 3 meters (9 feet), at viewpoints such as the Cruz del Condor. At the bottom, the thundering Cotahuasi and Colca Rivers are an irresistible challenge to the bold and experienced kayakers and white-water enthusiasts. Tourists can have a first-hand experience with the regional culture at some of the local communities, as well.

For a rare and unique cultural experience, travelers can enjoy a homestay in Sibayo, an Andean village in the region of Arequipa, where they will learn the local lifestyle including sharing the locals’ daily chores.