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    • Jul 26, 2022
    • 2 min read

Misti, Chachani and the Pichu Pichu Vulcanos in Arequipa 2023

Updated: Mar 17, 2023


Misti, Chachani and the Pichu Pichu Vulcanos Arequipa


The Misti is an active volcano (5,822 meters high), located near the southern city of Arequipa. With its ever-covered snow peak, El Misti is Peru's most famous volcano. Located between the volcanoes Chachani (6,075 m) and Pichu Pichu (5,669 m), the Misti is known as the 'gentleman'.


The city's colonial buildings are built with the volcanic material of the volcano.


The volcano is also known for its symmetrical cone and consists mainly of andesite (outflow rock). It was formed about 12,000 years ago atop a previously erupted Pleistocene volcano. The current caldera measures 1.5 by 2 km.


One of the last major eruptions occurred in the 15th century.


The Chachani is a volcano in Peru, located 22 kilometers north of the city of Arequipa. The name means "skirt" in Quechua.



The Chachani in the middle, the Misti at the bottom right, and the Aguada Blanca reservoir right in the middle, July 14, 2017 (Copernicus Sentinel-2)

The mountain is 6,057 meters high and fairly easy to climb. That makes it very popular with tourists and many travel agencies in Arequipa also organize excursions here. Tourists are often taken by car to a base camp at 5000 meters to spend the night and to acclimatize before starting the trek.


The Pichu Pichu (from Quechua Pikchu Pikchu) is a 5,664 meter high Peruvian volcano, located near the southern city of Arequipa. It is very eroded and is formed by seven mountain peaks, of which the Coronado is the highest.


During expeditions led by archaeologists José Antonio Chávez and Johan Reinhard, three mummies from the Inca era were discovered near the top of the volcano.


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