A large and important city in southern Peru, Arequipa sits in the shadow of the volcano El Misti. (The Arequipa Province is home to more than 80 volcanoes!) Established by the Incas and later destroyed by an earthquake and re-established by the Spaniards, the city is well-known for its beautiful Spanish architecture, including many homes and buildings made from sillar, white volcanic rock. It is this architecture that allowed the city to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Arequipa is also the center of commerce between Lima and southern Peru and is home to two of the country’s major universities. The city has been hit by a number of earthquakes throughout the centuries, most recently in 2001.