AREQUIPA

The word Arequipa comes from the Quechua phrase "Ari-que pay", which means "Yes, we will stay here". Arequipa's golden age is identified with the Churajón culture, which populated the valley, building agricultural terraces and irrigating the land. In Arequipa today there exist archaeological sites such as Casapatac, Sabandía and Churajón, which clearly show that a large population inhabited the region many centuries ago.

In the foothills of the volcano El Misti the Spanish conquistadors, led by Manuel de Carbajal, founded the city of Arequipa. Today, Arequipa has become the centre of southern Peru's economy and one of the country's most important milk producers. Its territory is rugged, characterised by thick layers of volcanic lava which cover great swathes of this inter-Andean region, and deep canyons like that formed by the Colca River.

Several volcanic cones stand above the table lands, forming snowy peaks, many of which are more than 6,000 m high, such as El Misti, Chachani, Ampato, Mismi, Solimana and Coropuna. At the opposite end of the scale to these massive peaks lie deep, imposing canyons like those at Majes, Colca, Sihuas, Cotahuasi and Ocoña, where scientists are able to study the geological history of the region.
Arequipa is known as the "White City" due to the white volcanic rock from which most of its buildings are made, and is the capital of its department. Its historic centre is a treasure house of architectural jewels, including churches, monasteries, mansions and convents like the famous Santa Catalina convent, which dates from 1580. The countryside around the city is also particularly beautiful, as are the surrounding towns of Cayma, Carmen Alto, Yanahuara and Characato, where there is an astronomical observatory.