Updated September 2022.
La Ciudad Blanca (The White City)
A Colonial jewel built on the slopes of a volcano and is surrounded by snow-capped Misti, Chachani, and Pichu Pichu volcanoes, the whole town is built almost entirely from sillar, a white volcanic rock. Arequipa also sits atop a geological fault line called the cadena del fuego (chain of fire), but most of the Colonial buildings have weathered the assaults due to the citizens dedication to keep their heritage. As Peru’s second largest city, it is known for its sheep and alpaca wool exports with beautiful weather all year-round.
Legend has it that the city's name stems from when the fourth Inca emperor, Mayta Cápac, camped in this location, and when soldiers asked to remain here, he responded with "ari, quepay" (yes, you may stay).
Legend has it that the city's name stems from when the fourth Inca emperor, Mayta Cápac, camped in this location, and when soldiers asked to remain here, he responded with "ari, quepay" (yes, you may stay).
Overview
Path is ~ 3.5 miles of walking + 1.5 extra miles for the final viewpoint.
- 9:00 - 10:00 AM: Monasterio de Santa Calina - beautiful monastery
- 10:00 - 10:15 AM: Casa del Moral - baroque-style house
- 10:15 - 10:30 AM: Iglesia de San Augustin - ornate restored church
- 10:30 - 11:30 AM: Plaza de Armas & the Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa - main square and famous cathedral
- 11:30 - 11:45 AM: Templo La Compañía de Jesús Arequipa - baroque church with gold-leaf
- 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM: Iglesia Santo Domingo - baroque colonial church
- 12:00 - 1:00 PM: Mercado San Camilo - marketplace stalls
- 2:00 - 3:00 PM: Mundo Alpaca - alpaca education center and store
- 3:00 - 3:15 PM: Puente Grau - bridge for picturesque views
- 3:15 - 4:30 PM: Monasterio y Museo de la Recoleta - monastery known for its library
- 4:45 - 5:00 PM: Mirador de Yanahuara - viewpoint
- 5:30 - 5:45 PM:Carmen Alto Viewpoint - viewpoint (optional)
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Day Plan
9:00 - 10:00 AM: Monasterio de Santa Catalina (40 Soles)
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The Monastery of Santa Catalina was founded in 1580. The Order of Saint Catherine of Siena included poor Creole women, daughters of curacas (local Indian chiefs), and women from upper-class families. It is roughly the size of a small town with over 100 rooms, streets, three cloisters, a church, and a gallery. Some notable rooms are as follows:
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Monastery of Santa Catalina Courtyard (Source: Santa Catalina Website)
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10:00 - 10:15 AM: Casa del Moral
(House of the Mulberry Tree) |
10:15 - 10:30 AM: Iglesia de San Agustin
(Church of St. Agustin) |
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Best example of Arequipa’s Baroque style. It is named after an ancient mora (mulberry) tree which still lives in the courtyard. There are intricate carvings of puma heads with snakes coming from their mouths on the façade.
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Known for once hosting different academies, the Church of St. Augustine was restored after a strong earthquake in 2001. The Design has a mid-1800 façade on the outside with an ornate dome, neoclassical altars, and a high altar covered in gold leaf and carvings.
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10:30 - 11:30 AM: Plaza de Armas & the Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa (10 Soles)
Constructed in 1621 after the city was founded, the cathedral was damaged by earthquakes and fires and then rebuilt/restored in 1868 and 1985 before being rebuilt multiple times due to the frequency of earthquakes in the area. A neo-classical building with Gothic influence and 70 Corinthian columns, it stretches the entire length of the Plaza de Armas and is constructed of sillar and ignimbrite. The inside is filled with carvings, sculptures, and treasures.
In the center of La Plaza de Armas, there is a statue of Tuturuto, who represents a 16th-century soldier who informed residents of news and events.
In the center of La Plaza de Armas, there is a statue of Tuturuto, who represents a 16th-century soldier who informed residents of news and events.
View from in front of the Plaza de Armas
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View from the Waya Lookout
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11:30 - 11:45 AM: Templo La Compañía de Jesús Arequipa (10 Soles)
The Church of the Jesuit Order is known for its baroque architecture built during the 1700s. It is known for its carved wooden altars and one covered with gold leaf and ornate carvings. Like the Cathedral, this church was rebuilt many times due to the earthquakes.
11:45 AM - 12:00 PM: Iglesia Santo Domingo
The Baroque style colonial church has an interior balcony to view the church and one can also access the roof for views of Arequipa. It contains beautiful altarpieces and a courtyard.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Mercado San Camilo
San Camilo Market is known for the beautiful stalls, but there are some meat stalls with heads of cattle and dry llama fetuses. Like most Peruvian markets, one can receive some freshly blended fruit juice.
2:00 - 3:00 PM: Mundo Alpaca
Mundo Alpaca is a store, museum, and llama/alpaca education center that sells textiles made from alpaca wool, has demonstrations for how wool is woven, and allows for people to interact and feed some alpacas and llamas. One can buy some quality, authentic alpaca products here.
3:00 - 3:15 PM: Puente Grau
This old bridge crosses the Chili River. It provides a picturesque photo spot.
Source: Ojedamoncayo (TripAdvisor)
3:15 - 4:30 PM: Monasterio y Museo de la Recoleta
By now, if one isn't too bored with seeing churches, there is one last monastery that is on the other side of the Chili River. This monastery is known for its massive library, containing 20,000+ books over the course of the last 500 centuries. There is also a museum with artifacts collected by the colonizers and some mummies.
4:45 - 5:00 PM: Mirador de Yanahuara
From the Yanahuara lookout, one can see the Arch and the Misti volcano, which is the protector of Arequipa. This is the most accessible viewpoint if one cannot make it to the Carmen Alto viewpoint, which is usually part of the Ruta del Sillar tour.
The walk to the Carmen Alto Viewpoint is 1.5 miles and can be considered optional.
5:30 - 5:45 PM: Carmen Alto Viewpoint
One of the best miradors. It is a little hard to get to without a bus. One can see that there are three volcanoes that surround Arequipa to the north. From left to right, they are Chachani, which means girlfriend or wife, Misti, which is the most popular volcano, and Pichu Pichu, named because of its two peaks. Chachani is the largest volcano and the only active one at the moment.
Ruta del Sillar
North of the city is where the sillar, the volcanic stone, had originally been collected and sculpted by the Pre-Inca civilizations. One of the famous quarries is called Ruta del Sillar, where famous ashlar stonecutters have crafted beautiful sculptures that serves as an “Instagrammable” space. Made from ignimbrite, the stone is actually quite fragile and originated from a volcanic eruption over one million years ago.
While the sculptures are impressive, visiting the site requires booking a tour and I would only recommend this if someone has multiple days in Arequipa and is looking for something else to do.
While the sculptures are impressive, visiting the site requires booking a tour and I would only recommend this if someone has multiple days in Arequipa and is looking for something else to do.
Cantera Vírgen/Quebrada de Culebrillas
Part of the Ruta del Sillar tour also involves walking through a canyon called Cantera Vírgen de Culebrillas or Quebrada de Culebrillas. This is a very easy hike with some petroglyphs carved into the canyon wall at the end of the walk. Throughout, there are some interesting stone cairns created that Peruvians refer to as apachetas. They represent wishes, altars, or energy vortexes to connect with Pachamama (Mother Earth) and as a method to send prayers and receive blessings. Composed of at least three stones, apachetas are made of a strong bottom base to connect with Pachamama, the middle stone represents mountains rising up from Pachamama, and the last stone represents one’s wish.
Museums
- Casona Arróspide: Also known as Casona Iriberry, it is now the Cultural Centre Chavez de la Rosa and part of the University of San Agustin. One can explore photography and art exhibitions or visit the rooftop for viiews of the Cathedral.
- Casona Tristán del Pozo: A Colonial mansion built in 1738 that showcases Colonial architecture. Currently it houses a bank, a small museum, and an art gallery.
- Museo de la Ciudad de Arequipa: Historical museum providing history of Arequipa with many reliecs and archeaological finds. Memorable figures and heroes from Arequipa's history are also showcased here as Arequipa remained a center of nationalism during Peru's fight for independence.
- Museo Santuarios Andinos: Known for its exhibit of Juanita, La Dama de Ampato (the Lady of Ampato) or the Ice Maiden, for she is the Andes' first frozen female mummy. She was sacrificed by the Inca priests on Mount Ampato and due to the frigid temperatures at the 20,7000 feet elevation, she was remarkably preserved. There are other mummies from Amapato to be seen there as well.
- Casa Goyeneche: Also known as the Palacio de Goyeneche, it is known for its colonial architecture with patios and a beautiful exterior. Inside, there are paintings from the Cusco school of art.
- Fundo El Fierro: Originally the first jail, it is now a marketplace to purchase handicrafts
Restaurants
Restaurants in Arequipa are referred to as Picanterias. Specialities are Rocoto Relleno, which is baked stuffed red peppers filled with minced meat, peanuts, boiled eggs, olives, cream cheese, and milk and served with Ocopa, a traditional sauce. Adobo, a traditional soup thought to be best in Arequipa, is another option. It has chunks of pork marinated in chica (Inca Beer) and cooked with vinegar, hot peppers, and spices in a clay pot.
Personally, my favorite dish to try in Arequipa is alpaca meat over volcanic stone. Would highly recommend going to Zig Zag for a great deal on the volcanic-stone cooked alpaca meat and it also contains a spiral staircase designed by Gustave Eiffel
Other places to try:
Personally, my favorite dish to try in Arequipa is alpaca meat over volcanic stone. Would highly recommend going to Zig Zag for a great deal on the volcanic-stone cooked alpaca meat and it also contains a spiral staircase designed by Gustave Eiffel
Other places to try:
- Queso Helado Doña Rosa: Cheese ice cream is a specialty in Peru and this is a great place to try some!
- Sol de Mayo: Traditional Arequipan restaurant known for their Chupe de Camarones (crawfish stew) or Cuy Chactado (stone pressed guinea pig).
- Zingaro: A local restaurant that offers a fine selection of food. Their potatoes are quite delicious and also a great place to eat a guinea pig.
- Museo del Pisco (Closed on Sundays): More of a cocktail bar than a museum, it serves as a great place to sample pisco and to grab a few drinks. Open until midnight, one can also go after dinner too.
