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The 'White City' lies in a green valley at the foot of three snow-capped volcanoes in the southern Peruvian desert.
Arequipa is Peru's second largest city and was founded in 1540. A delightful city set in a green valley among the high-altitude deserts and volcanoes of southern Peru; the buildings in the centre have been built almost exclusively of the volcanic material 'sillar', a white, porous rock, giving Arequipa its nickname of 'La Ciudad Blanca' - 'The White City'. At an elevation of 2,300m (7,500 feet) above sea level, the altitude can take a few days to get used to.
Arequipa is a tranquil city with important colonial and republican architecture, leading it to be classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the main attractions within Arequipa is the Santa Catalina Convent, established in 1579. It was built mainly in the Moorish 'mudejar' style, and is well known for its brightly painted walls. There are still some 20 nuns living in the convent, and parts of it are also open to the public.
Arequipa is also used by many people as a departure point for their visit to the Colca Canyon. About 100 miles from Arequipa and accessible by road, the Colca Canyon is the world's deepest canyon and is home to many small traditional villages, as well as being the habitat of the Andean Condor.
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Our hotels were very good and our guides, Marvin, Mariel & Fernando were excellent: They had exceptional knowledge and made absolutely sure that our Peruvian experience was of the highest quality.
All guides were excellent: Malla was a pleasant young lady, Hildana had a perfect mix of humour and friendliness, Manuel provided useful information and Fernando was enthusiastic and knowledgeable.
We have been impressed by the reception and assistance of your partners throughout the trip.
We had 4 guides who were very different in character, but they were all excellent, friendly, efficient, knowledgeable and informative, especially Marvin Abanto in Lima.
Guides were exceptional: Enthusiasm & freshness they showed was as if they had just started and wanted to impress this is to be commended when considering they've been doing the job for many years.
Great holiday, fantastic organization, friendly staff at Veloso and on the ground, best food and amazing country! We could not have wished for any better. Thank you!
The handover from one guide to another was seamless. From entering Peru at Lima airport and at every stage of the holiday, every guide had full information of our itinerary, this was very impressive!
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