Arequipa

Founded in 1540 by Spanish colonizers on the site of an Inca settlement, Arequipa is Peru's second-largest city and the political and cultural heart of the country's southern Andes. Its historic center was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, defined by buildings constructed from sillar, a porous white volcanic stone quarried from the flanks of the nearby El Misti volcano. The Jesuit church La Compañía and the monumental cathedral on the Plaza de Armas rank among the finest examples of colonial baroque architecture in South America. The Monastery of Santa Catalina — a cloistered convent founded in 1579 — functioned as a self-contained city for nearly four centuries and today opens its labyrinthine colored alleys to visitors. The city also claims one of Peru's most distinctive regional cuisines, with dishes like Rocoto Relleno drawing food travelers from across the country.