Things to do in Arequipa
Arequipa is known for its beautiful white colonial buildings, which delight all who visit the city's UNESCO-listed historic centre. The Plaza de Armas is the destination's central landmark, and is a great starting point for a sightseeing tour. Highlights include the Santa Catalina Monastery, the Museo Santuarios Andinos, the Santa Teresa Convent, and La Compania.
Visitors who enjoy the local cuisine should try the Peruvian Cooking Experience. The cooking course is held at the Casa de Avila Hotel, and is deservedly popular among travelling foodies.
Tourists can also hike up the volcanic peaks of El Misti, Pichu Pichu, and Chachani, which loom above Arequipa's colonial elegance. Though the views are stunning, travellers should note that the altitude can be uncomfortable, and that the mountains can become freezing cold.
The region's main natural attraction is the Colca Canyon. It's one of the deepest canyons in the world, and attracts many avid hikers with its condors, traditional villages and breathtakingly dramatic scenery.
Santa Catalina Monastery
The Santa Catalina Monastery is an expansive complex of rooms, chapels, and plazas, featuring ornate fountains, cobbled streets, and graceful archways. Its high, brightly painted w…
Santa Catalina Monastery
The Santa Catalina Monastery is an expansive complex of rooms, chapels, and plazas, featuring ornate fountains, cobbled streets, and graceful archways. Its high, brightly painted walls enclose a network of cells that once housed hundreds of nuns, many from noble families. Visitors can explore a valuable collection of Spanish American religious art, a striking colonial-era kitchen originally designed as a chapel, and paintings adorning the vaulted arches of cloisters such as the sky-blue Orange Tree Cloister. A stunning church compound, Santa Catalina is a masterpiece of colonial architecture and one of the most captivating religious sites in Peru.
Website www.santacatalina.org.pe
Museo Santuarios Andinos (Museum of Andean Sanctuaries)
This small museum's most renowned exhibit is the well-preserved frozen body of a young Inca girl named Juanita, discovered atop Mount Ampato in southern Peru in 1995. She was sacri…
Museo Santuarios Andinos (Museum of Andean Sanctuaries)
This small museum's most renowned exhibit is the well-preserved frozen body of a young Inca girl named Juanita, discovered atop Mount Ampato in southern Peru in 1995. She was sacrificed during the Inca ritual known as capacocha, which involved offering children to the mountain gods (apus) to appease them, especially during times of environmental stress such as volcanic eruptions. Juanita's body was preserved by the freezing temperatures at the summit, where she was buried with ceremonial offerings. Her remains were exposed when volcanic activity melted the ice, revealing the tomb.
Juanita is displayed in a refrigerated glass case to maintain her preservation. Scientific analyses, including DNA testing, have provided valuable insights into Inca culture and rituals. The museum also showcases other artefacts from surrounding sites, offering a comprehensive view of the capacocha ceremony and its significance in Inca society.
The Colca Canyon
The Colca Canyon, located northwest of Arequipa, is one of the world's deepest canyons, with depths of up to 2,000 metres. This striking valley is surrounded by towering mountains,…
The Colca Canyon
The Colca Canyon, located northwest of Arequipa, is one of the world's deepest canyons, with depths of up to 2,000 metres. This striking valley is surrounded by towering mountains, colonial churches, and pre-Inca terraces, and is home to herds of llamas and alpacas. The Cruz del Cóndor is the most popular viewpoint, where visitors can watch Andean condors gliding above the dramatic gorge, especially in the morning. Many travellers base themselves in Chivay, a high-altitude market town offering hot springs, hiking trails, transport connections, and a range of accommodations. Guided tours and independent trekking options are both widely available.