What is it?

Arequipa is Peru's second city and arguably its most beautiful — a colonial masterpiece carved almost entirely from sillar, the pearly-white volcanic rock that gives it the nickname 'La Ciudad Blanca'. Sunlight bounces off the arcaded Plaza de Armas and the twin-towered basilica, while the perfect cone of El Misti volcano looms 5,822 metres above the rooftops like a permanent stage backdrop. At its heart lies the Monasterio de Santa Catalina, a 16th-century convent that functioned as a city within a city, its cobbled lanes painted in fierce cobalt blue and burnt orange, silent but for footsteps and birdsong. Arequipeños are famously proud — they once designed their own flag and passport — and that independence shows in the food, widely considered Peru's finest regional cuisine, served in cavernous picanterías where you'll eat rocoto relleno, adobo and chupe de camarones washed down with cloudy chicha. Sitting at 2,335 metres with 300 days of sunshine a year, the city feels crisp, luminous and slightly otherworldly, a perfect blend of Andean grit and Spanish elegance.

Where is it?

Arequipa sits in southern Peru, roughly 1,000 km southeast of Lima and a short hop from the Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca and the Chilean border. The historic centre — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — is compact and walkable, with the bohemian Yanahuara and San Lázaro neighbourhoods offering the best volcano views at sunset. Visit between April and November for dry, clear skies; the rainy season runs January to March, though the city stays warm year-round thanks to its high-desert climate.

What makes it worth it?

Travellers routinely arrive planning two nights and stay a week. There's something about the quality of the light here — sharp, high-altitude, almost silver — that makes ordinary streets feel cinematic, and visitors describe wandering Santa Catalina as 'like stepping into a painting you're allowed to walk through'. It's a city that rewards slowness: a morning in the monastery, an afternoon meeting Juanita the Ice Maiden (the astonishingly preserved Inca girl sacrificed on Ampato 500 years ago), an evening on a rooftop watching El Misti turn pink. Then there's the food, which converts sceptics into evangelists after a single plate of rocoto relleno. Years later, what people remember most is the combination — snow-capped volcanoes above, white stone below, and the smell of chile and garlic drifting out of a picantería door as the church bells ring.

How accessible is it?

Arequipa is one of the easiest major destinations in Peru to reach: daily 90-minute flights from Lima cost roughly $50–150 return, and comfortable overnight buses from Lima, Cusco or Puno run $25–60. The city welcomes well over a million visitors a year, and no permits or advance planning are required beyond booking accommodation in peak season. Budget travellers manage on $30–50 a day including hostels and street food, while mid-range visitors should plan $80–150 a day; Santa Catalina Monastery costs around $12 and the Juanita museum about $6. The altitude of 2,335 metres is mild but can cause mild breathlessness on arrival — take it easy on day one, especially if you're heading onwards to Colca Canyon or climbing El Misti, which requires real fitness and a guide. English is spoken in tourist areas but basic Spanish goes a long way in the markets and picanterías.