Arequipa, Peru’s elegant “White City” built from pale volcanic stone, sits ringed by three volcanoes and within striking distance of Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons on Earth at more than twice the depth of the Grand Canyon. The region offers a different flavour of trekking to Cusco or Huaraz: dry, high-desert terrain, terraced pre-Inca agriculture still in use today, and condors riding the thermals above the canyon rim at Cruz del Cóndor.
The classic Colca Canyon trek descends steeply from the rim to the canyon floor and the palm-shaded oasis village of Sangalle, before a demanding climb back out — typically done over two or three days with a night at the oasis. For those wanting a genuine high-altitude challenge, El Misti, the near-symmetrical volcano overlooking Arequipa, offers a two-day summit climb to 5,822m, a serious but non-technical trek that rewards with views over the entire Arequipa valley and, on clear days, neighbouring volcanoes.
The dry season from April to December is best for both routes; the canyon trek is walkable most of the year, but El Misti’s summit push is safest and clearest outside the December–March wet season.
