The second biggest tourist destination in Peru these days is Arequipa. Located at the south of the country, the region is chock full of adventure. This is where to go for canyoning, rafting, kayaking, horseback riding, or mountain biking.
Arequipa, Peru
The city of Arequipa is Peru’s second largest city, at one-tenth the size of Lima! It is an artistic city, as well as a gastronomic paradise, and full of architectural wonders. The city is surrounded by three volcanoes, and the entire region is seismically active.
Despite this, the historic city centre withstands (thus far, anyway) the rocking and rolling. Arequipa’s historic core became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000; go for the beautiful white Baroque architecture amid a flamboyant and fantastic arts scene.
The Colca and Cotahuasi Canyons
This area, one hour from Lima by plane, is canyon country. It’s also condor country, and anyone who has a desire to watch these powerful birds should head straight here. Both the Colca and the Cotahuasi canyons are over 2,000 metres deeper than the US’s Grand Canyon. They are second and third on the list of deepest canyons in the world – only the Yarlung Zangbo canyon in Tibet is deeper. (Although, it is very difficult apparently to measure the depth of a gorge/canyon and lists across the internet vary.)
Colca is relatively easy to access. Buses from Arequipa leave each morning to both Chivay and Cruz del Condor, in the canyon. From there, travellers can take local minibuses to various sites within the canyon. There are also tours that leave from both Arequipa and Cruz del Condor.
Cotahuasi, on the other hand, is one of the world’s most remote regions. Getting here will take a bit of planning and a lot of time. It is only 375km from Arequipa but that drive can take a full day. The main town is Cotahuasi, and its a charming mountain village with artisan crafts and a good base for adventure outings. Don’t miss the hot springs in this area!
Valley of the Volcanoes
The Valley of the Volcanoes is, according to several sources, one of the strangest landscapes to set eyes on. Located north of Arequipa (a multi-day trip), it consists of around 30-40 extinct volcanoes. These range in size from 200 to 300 metres and are accompanied by various lava pyroclastic flows. Experts say that these volcanoes erupted around 200,000 years ago and future eruptions are unlikely.
There are also several pre-Incan archaeological ruins in this area.
Luxury in Arequipa
One thing that continually sets Virtuoso apart from other travel advising networks is the way that luxurious properties and remote, exotic regions go hand in hand. Getting to the remotest regions of Peru is highly doable with some of my wonderful onsite suppliers.
These locals know the best drivers, the best guides, and the best routes to take to ensure that your vacation is perfect. Once there, you’ll be staying in the lap of luxury. If five star accommodation isn’t in your budget, there are plenty of other comfortable lodgings and any of that can be worked into your custom itinerary!
