Arequipa sits at 2,335 meters above sea level in southern Peru, located approximately 1,000 kilometers southeast of Lima. The city's historic center occupies 332 hectares and received UNESCO World Heritage designation in 2000. Three volcanic peaks define the surrounding landscape: Misti stands at 5,822 meters, Chachani reaches 6,057 meters, and Picanchu rises to 5,669 meters. The urban population numbered 1,080,635 residents according to Peru's 2017 national census. Arequipa functions as the capital of both Arequipa Department and Arequipa Province.
Builders constructed the colonial center almost entirely from sillar, a white volcanic rock quarried from pyroclastic flows deposited by surrounding volcanoes. This material gives the city its common designation as Ciudad Blanca. The rock contains 40-60% silica and cuts easily when freshly quarried, then hardens upon exposure to air. Colonial architects used sillar for structures from 1540 onward because it provided both earthquake resistance through its light weight and insulation against the region's temperature variations. The Santa Catalina Monastery covers 20,000 square meters and opened to the public in 1970 after functioning as an enclosed Catholic convent since 1579. The complex contains streets, plazas, and 80 individual rooms painted in ochre and cobalt pigments derived from natural minerals.
The Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa occupies the entire northern side of the Plaza de Armas. Construction began in 1544, but earthquakes in 1583, 1600, 1687, 1784, 1868, and 2001 required repeated rebuilding. The current neoclassical structure dates primarily to reconstruction between 1844 and 1868 by architect Lucas Poblete. The cathedral measures 89 meters in length, and its façade spans 107 meters across three naves. The building contains a Belgian organ manufactured by Loret in 1870 with 1,154 pipes. The cathedral holds the only Peruvian church structure that extends the full width of a main plaza.
Arequipa experiences a subtropical highland climate classified as Köppen Cwb. Annual precipitation averages 150 millimeters, falling primarily between December and March. Daytime temperatures range from 22-25°C year-round, while nights drop to 3-8°C. The city records 300 days of sunshine annually. This aridity results from the rain shadow effect created by the Western Cordillera of the Andes, which blocks moisture from the Amazon basin. The Chili River flows through the city's northern edge, fed by snowmelt from the Cordillera Volcánica.
The Monastery of Santa Catalina remained closed to outsiders from its 1579 founding until 1970, when economic necessity forced the Dominican nuns to open the compound for tourism. At its peak in the 18th century, the monastery housed 450 people including 150 nuns and 300 servants. Wealthy families paid dowries of 2,400 silver pesos for daughters to enter as nuns rather than the typical 1,000 pesos required at other convents. Each nun received private quarters of two to four rooms with servant accommodation. The complex contains six streets named after Spanish cities: Córdoba, Granada, Sevilla, Toledo, Burgos, and Málaga. Sillar walls throughout the compound reach 50-70 centimeters thick.
Colca Canyon lies 160 kilometers northwest of Arequipa, descending to 3,270 meters depth at its deepest measured point between Coropuna volcano and the Cordillera Ampato. This measurement makes it the second deepest canyon surveyed in Peru after Cotahuasi Canyon at 3,535 meters. The canyon formed through erosion by the Colca River cutting through volcanic deposits over approximately two million years. Andean condors inhabit the canyon, and the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint at kilometer 50 of the Cabanaconde road provides observation access. Condors achieve wingspans of 3.2 meters and weigh 11-15 kilograms. They utilize thermal updrafts from the canyon beginning typically at 9:00-10:00 each morning.
The Juanita mummy resides in the Museo Santuarios Andinos on Calle La Merced. Dr. Johan Reinhard and assistant Miguel Zárate discovered the naturally frozen remains at 6,380 meters elevation on Mount Ampato in September 1995. The individual was a female aged 13-15 years at death, occurring approximately 1450-1480 CE during the reign of either Pachacuti or Túpac Yupanqui. Freezing temperatures and low humidity preserved soft tissue, internal organs, and stomach contents containing vegetables consumed six hours before death. Analysis identified a cranial fracture from a ceremonial club blow as cause of death. This capacocha ritual sacrifice occurred during Inca imperial practice of offering children to mountain deities. The museum maintains the body at -19°C in a specialized display case.
Arequipa's gastronomic tradition centers on dishes adapted to the region's specific agricultural production. Rocoto relleno consists of rocoto peppers grown at 2,000-3,000 meters elevation, stuffed with ground beef, peanuts, peas, and queso fresco, then baked with milk. Ocopa arequipeña covers boiled potatoes in sauce made from huacatay herb, aji amarillo peppers, crackers, peanuts, and fresh cheese. Chupe de camarones combines freshwater shrimp from the Majes and Camaná rivers with potatoes, corn, eggs, milk, and huacatay. These shrimp belong to the species Cryphiops caementarius endemic to Pacific-draining rivers. Restaurants in the San Lázaro and Yanahuara districts serve these preparations.
The city established wool textile production beginning in 1540, processing fiber from alpaca and vicuña populations in the surrounding puna grasslands above 4,000 meters. Arequipa functioned as Peru's second manufacturing center after Lima during the colonial period and through the 19th century. The Fábrica de Tejidos El Molino opened in 1896 as Peru's first mechanized textile mill, producing wool fabric for domestic and export markets. The facility operated until 1986. Current alpaca fiber processing occurs in facilities owned by Michell Group and Inca Tops, which together process approximately 3,500 metric tons of alpaca fiber annually, representing 8% of global production.
The Plaza de Armas measures 120 meters on each side and contains a bronze fountain manufactured in France in 1892. Palm trees and garden beds occupy the plaza interior. Three-story arcaded buildings with sillar columns line the plaza perimeter on the east, south, and west sides. These portales date from reconstruction after the 1868 earthquake. The Casona Iriberry on the plaza's eastern side demonstrates typical Arequipa baroque architecture with carved sillar reliefs of flora and religious figures. The Municipal Palace occupies the plaza's western side, built in 1881 by architect Simón Peralta.
Earthquakes have repeatedly damaged Arequipa's structures. The February 2001 earthquake measured 8.4 Mw with epicenter 82 kilometers northwest of the city. Shaking lasted 75 seconds and killed 74 people in the department. Approximately 35,000 buildings sustained damage. The earthquake collapsed one bell tower of the cathedral and destroyed portions of Santa Catalina Monastery. Repair work on the monastery required 18 months. The city's location above the subduction zone where the Nazca Plate descends beneath the South American Plate at 7-8 centimeters per year generates recurring seismic activity.
Yanahuara district lies 2 kilometers northwest of the city center at 2,400 meters elevation. The district's main plaza features a stone viewpoint constructed in 1850 from sillar arches, with 11 arches spanning approximately 30 meters. Each arch contains carved text with phrases from prominent Arequipeño writers and poets. The viewpoint provides direct sightlines to Misti volcano 17 kilometers northeast. Yanahuara Church, completed in 1750, contains a baroque-mestizo façade with sillar carvings combining Catholic imagery and Andean agricultural motifs including corn, wheat, and native fruits. The façade measures 8 meters wide by 12 meters tall.