Arequipa

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Situated about 1,000 kilometres from Lima and bounded by the luminous coastal desert to the west and the steep foothills of the Andes to the east, the lovely city of Arequipa is surrounded by three magnificent volcanoes: Misti (5,822 m), Pichu Picchu (5,669 m) and Chachani (6,057 m). Many of its buildings are made of sillar, a white volcanic rock, earning it the nickname Arequipa la Blanca, or Arequipa the White. It is also known as the Ciudad de Eterna Primavera, or the City of Eternal Spring, for it enjoys a spring-like climate year-round, thanks to its location at an altitude of 2,400 metres. The second largest city in Peru after Lima, Arequipa has nearly 1,000,000 inhabitants.