Arequipa announces itself from a distance with a volcano. El Misti, a near-perfect cone of about 5,800 metres, stands behind the city, flanked by the broader mass of Chachani and the older, eroded Pichu Pichu, and on a clear morning the three seem to hang above the rooftops. Arequipa is Peru's second city, home to well over eight hundred thousand people, sitting in a dry valley at roughly 2,300 metres, so you arrive here after a long climb from the coast with your lungs and your engine both a little short of breath.
The city is called the White City because so much of the old centre is built from sillar, a pale volcanic tuff quarried nearby. Carved into arches and domes, it gives the Plaza de Armas its glow, especially at sunset when the stone turns peach. The city was founded by the Spanish in 1540, and the old colonial architecture survived many earthquakes, though not all of it. Santa Catalina Monastery, a walled town within the town, with narrow alleys painted blue and orange, is the sight everyone mentions, and for good reason. Plan a half day.
Riding in is simple enough, but the traffic is busy and chaotic, with minibuses cutting across lanes, so keep alert on the approach roads. The city has fuel at every turn, plenty of mechanics, and a thriving food scene built around local dishes like rocoto relleno, a stuffed hot pepper, and adobo, a pork stew traditionally eaten for breakfast. Sit down for a plate of either and you will understand the pride.
From Arequipa the road toward Colca Canyon leads up and over a high pass, close to 5,000 metres on the way, across a barren altiplano where vicuñas graze and the air is thin and cold. Prepare for altitude properly: spend a day acclimatising in the city before climbing, carry layers, and watch the weather, as snow is possible at the top even in what feels like summer.
The south coastal Panamericana, by contrast, lies far below in desert and fog. Arequipa is the natural pause between the two, a bed, a hot shower and a good meal before the next stage.