El Misti, a dormant 5,822m volcano, rises just 12km from Arequipa, Peru's second city, at 2,335m in the Andes, founded 15 August 1540 by Spanish conquistador Garci Manuel de Carbajal. Its historic centre is built from sillar, a pale volcanic rock quarried from nearby extinct volcanoes, which earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2000 and the nickname the White City. Locals also call it the City of Eternal Blue Sky: a cold desert climate keeps skies clear and rain almost absent outside a brief January-March window. The National University of San Agustin, founded 1827, anchors a backpacker-to-nomad pipeline running on to the Colca Canyon, one of the world's deepest, 160km northwest.
Arequipa barely changes season: around 16°C most of the year.
Rain is hardly part of the picture: about 94 mm a year, with February the wettest month at just 36 mm. Dry, bright months are the norm.
Wind is rarely an issue; most months sit between calm and a light breeze. Air quality is worth watching: December averages an AQI of 64, while February clears to 33.
Days stretch to about 13.0 hours of light in December and shrink to 11.0 in June — something to weigh if you work to a fixed timezone.
No month in Arequipa matches what you're after, so come for the place rather than the weather. Expect fast internet (348 Mbps) and a moderate cost of living (about €850 a month).
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