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Bookmark & shareAcclimatize among colonial passageways, colossal canyons and icy Incan mummies.
The irresistibly sexy Arequipa, aka 'White City' for its dazzling colonial sillar (off-white volcanic rock) stonework, is surrounded by some of the wildest terrain in Peru. It's a land of active snowy volcanoes, high-altitude deserts, thermal hot springs, salt lakes and the world's deepest canyons.
No other place in southern Peru delivers the best of both urban and outdoor - clamber up an Andean peak, slalom down from a sandy volcanic summit and be back in your colonial mansion guesthouse in time for a dinner of spicy arequipeño food and all-night dancing in a sizzling-hot nightclub.
Travel Warning: Beware of Unregulated Taxis
Recently, two young solo female tourists were murdered in Arequipa after catching unregulated, unofficial taxis at night. Others have been sexually assaulted. Women are advised to ask local police for the name of a safe, official taxi company and, when catching cabs, to note the taxista's name and ID number. Never travel in a taxi without clearly displayed identification.
severity: High-level alert
Fast Facts
Population
860,000
Currency
Name: Nuevo Sol
Code: PEN
Symbol: S/
Electrical Plugs
220V 60Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: Quechua, Spanish; Castilian
Time Zones
GMT/UTC -5
Country Dialing Code
+51
Weights & Measures
Metric
Peru - Pick & Mix Chapters
Download the free Getting Started chapter or buy individual chapters from our Peru guide, in our online Shop.
› Go to the Peru download page.
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