Overview
On a fertile oasis in the desert of southern Peru, Arequipa - the White City - squats at the foot of craggy volcanoes and shimmers in the constant sunlight. The pearl coloured mansions and churches, shady arches, spires and unreconstructed grid of gabled colonial houses have a middle-eastern flavour. The small shops and cafés and flowery plazas make it a great place to relax, and to get accustomed to the altitude (2,335m) if heading into the Andes.
From here a lonely road heads 83km up through a wind-sculpted wilderness to plunge into the cavernous Colca Canyon, in the shelter of which pre-Inca communities built astounding amphitheatres of agricultural terracing which survive to this day.
Holidays Arequipa and Colca Canyon
From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.
Group - Discovery
Peru / Lake Titicaca / Bolivia
Condor: Peru in depth
(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)
Group - Classic
Peru / Lake Titicaca
Pelicano: Essential Peru
(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)
Private Journeys
Peru
Peru by Rail
Private Journeys
Peru / Lake Titicaca
Signature Peru: Classic highlights of Peru
(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)
Things to do
Look into things to do in Arequipa and the Colca Canyon in southern Peru. Book your tour of Peru with Journey Latin America now.
Accommodation
Examine hotels, lodges and other first class places to stay in Arequipa and Colca Canyon in southern Peru. Book a group tour now with Journey Latin America.
Where to go when - our guide to Arequipa and Colca Canyon
The weather in Arequipa and Colca Canyon is wide and varied
Arequipa enjoys pleasant weather for most of the year, with some 360 days of sunshine. Temperatures are pleasant, warm enough to wear a shirt during the day and perhaps a light jumper at night. The higher altitudes of the Colca Canyon region make for much colder nights, particularly in the driest months of June to September. Rain is most likely between November and March. The condors are considered to be at their most active from late March to June.
View our Arequipa and Colca Canyon weather guidePapagaio
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