Arequipa, the "White City ",was founded on August 15, 1540, by Manuel Garci de Carvajal. Its name comes from the Quechua Phrase "Arequipai", which means “Stay here".

Located on the slopes of the Western Andean range, at the foot of Misti volcano, Arequipa (2,350 meters above sea level), the capital of the department of the same name, is a beautiful city and a World Heritage site. Its stately colonial houses, churches and convents, built of sillar (a petrified volcanic rock), boast an original architectural style. The city is surrounded by countryside and agricultural terraces dating back to inca times.