Exotic and Historic Travel

Villa Hermosa de Arequipa is Peru’s second largest city and Capital of the Department of the same name.

An area firstly inhabited by the Collaguas (7600BC), then overtaken by the Incas (6300BC) and finally given its name by Garcí Manuel de Carvajal in 1540, a Spanish conqueror-founder- close to Francisco Pizarro.

It preserves one of the best architectural legacies of the colonial time in Peru – a fusion of European and Native art – best evidenced in its manorial houses, monasteries and convents.

In fact, the “White City”, as often referred to for its glistening white buildings made of sillar (volcanic rock) and ashlar (petrified volcanic ash), has its Historical Center listed as a World Heritage Landmark by UNESCO since year 2000.

The white city is not only one of the major cities in Peru, there is a wealth of attractions waiting to be discovered by you…

* Santa Catalina Monastery
A city within a city, home of the Dominican nuns for centuries. Read the rest of this entry »