Ash-coloured hills drop into an almost black Pacific, without a tree, without a house, for kilometres. Then a gap opens in the cliff: cranes, silos, a jetty. Matarani is first and foremost a working port, one of the major maritime outlets of southern Peru, and it doesn't try to hide it. If cruise ships stop here, it is because it guards the door to a hinterland that ranks among the most spectacular on the continent.

A Desert Amphitheatre

The town perched above the docks, part of the Islay district, lives to the rhythm of the freighters. You can stretch your legs along the Ratti malecón, greet the Church of San Miguel Arcángel and watch the pelicans patrolling the harbour, but that is not where the visit really happens. It happens on the road, because Matarani is above all a starting point. Two directions await passengers, very different in distance and ambition.

Arequipa, the White City

The road climbs through absolute desert before emerging onto an urban oasis set at more than 2,300 metres above sea level. Arequipa owes its nickname, the White City, to sillar, the pale volcanic stone from which its cathedral, arcades and colonial mansions are built. Santa Catalina Monastery, a true city within the city with its ochre and blue lanes, alone justifies the trip. From the Yanahuara lookout, the view extends to the cone of El Misti, the guardian volcano watching over the rooftops. You have to accept spending four hours on a coach during the day; those who do return on board feeling they have seen one of the most beautiful cities in the Americas.

Mollendo, the Seaside Neighbour

In contrast to that long expedition, Mollendo offers a gentle stop. This small resort, born with the railway in the 19th century, lines up its painted wooden houses above beaches frequented mainly by local families in summer. You walk along the waterfront, eat a ceviche facing the waves and get a taste of coastal Peru without any scenery set up for visitors. It is the option for those who prefer a quiet morning to a day on the road.

The Most Generous Ocean

The Humboldt Current, which cools these waters, also makes them extraordinarily rich in fish. You only need to watch the ballet of fishing boats and seabirds around the harbour to understand that this arid coast feeds an entire country. Sea lions and pelicans are never far from the jetties, and the sight of the unloading, with glistening nets and the cries of gulls, is often as good as a market.

Planning Your Day

Here, everything is decided before going ashore: the distances leave no room for improvisation. Excursions to Arequipa leave early and fill the entire day; Mollendo can be reached by taxi or shuttle depending on the ship's arrangements. In either case, bring water and remember that the desert sun, even when veiled by the coastal mist that is common in the morning, burns quickly.

The Last Look

On departure, as the ship pulls away from the jetty, the grey hills close their amphitheatre and the desert reclaims its rights all the way to the horizon. You then understand what was so astonishing about this stop: behind the most austere of façades lay a white city, volcanoes and one of the most alive oceans in the world. Matarani doesn't charm at first glance; it rewards those who went to see farther.