AREQUIPA AND VALLE DEL COLCA
The land of volcanoes and canyons, Arequipa stands out because of the colonial beauty of the city and its green countryside. It is also a centre for the export of alpaca wool and for this reason is the ideal place to buy alpaca clothes.
The colonial city of Arequipa is located at the foot of the volcano Misti and is built of sillar, a white volcanic stone which gives it a distinctive character compared to other colonial cities; it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000.
3,000 metres deep, the Colca Canyon is the second deepest in the world and is home to condors, alpacas and llamas. It is also an excellent zone for trekking, canoeing, climbing, para-gliding and mountain biking. A visit to its 17 picturesque villages takes us back to the 17th Century, when they were built and some old customs are still kept alive by their inhabitants, including the craft of embroidery, raised to exquisite heights by the people of Colca. Pre-Inca archaeological sites, small colonial churches, thermal springs and marvellous countryside, together with the chance of seeing condors on the wing complete the charms of this part of Peru.
Added to all this is the delicious cuisine of Arequipa, considered to be one of the best in Peru.
Imprescindibles
Built in the 16th Century for those daughters of Arequipa′s aristocracy who had chosen a nun′s life, the convent retains its colonial architecture and walls of sillar, it is a city within a city and has its own streets and neighbourhoods.
Santuarios Andinos Museum: This museum is dedicated to the offerings made by the Incas to the Apus, or mountain deities. The mummy of a girl, now named Juanita, was found perfectly preserved in the snow on mount Ampato, she and her clothing are shown in the museum.
