Arequipa City Guide

Arequipa is Peru's 'White City' (Ciudad Blanca), a UNESCO World Heritage historic centre built from pearly volcanic sillar stone and framed by the snow-capped Misti volcano, alongside Chachani and Pichu Pichu. As Peru's second city and the commercial hub of the south, it pairs a deep domestic owner-occupier base with strong tourism anchored by the 16th-century Santa Catalina Monastery and its role as gateway to the Colca Canyon. For investors it offers entry prices roughly 30–45% below prime Lima with comparable build quality, a stable USD-priced premium market, and demand split between expats/professionals and a growing middle class, rewarding buyers who target the established northwest residential belt.