Arequipa

The “White City,” built of white volcanic stone and ringed by three volcanoes, home to the Santa Catalina Monastery and a colonial old town — southern Peru's food capital.

Arequipa is Peru's second-largest city, set in the Chili River valley on the western slopes of the southern Andes at about 2,335 m, ringed by three volcanoes: El Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu. Much of the old town is built from white volcanic stone, earning it the nickname “the White City,” and its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The climate is dry with plenty of sunshine year-round; the dry season, April–November, is the best time to visit, while during the December–March rainy season there are occasional landslides on the way to the canyon. A visit has two parts: 1.5–2 days in the city to see the Plaza de Armas, the Santa Catalina Monastery, the museum of the frozen Inca maiden and the various viewpoints, and to try Arequipa dishes such as rocoto relleno (stuffed hot peppers) and chupe de camarones (shrimp chowder); then about 160 km north to the Colca Canyon, crossing the Salinas reserve and the 4,900-m Patapampa pass, spending a night in Chivay and heading to the Cruz del Cóndor early the next morning to watch condors — with more time, you can hike down to the oasis on the canyon floor. Getting there: direct flights from Lima and Cusco, and long-distance buses from Puno and Cusco. Altitude tip: the Colca section is at 3,600–4,900 m, so acclimatize in Arequipa for 1–2 days first.

Top sights

• Santa Catalina Monastery – A 20,000-square-meter 'city within a city.' Its red and blue lanes and nuns' cells are remarkably well preserved, making it a must-see in A…
• Plaza de Armas of Arequipa – The main square, framed on three sides by white volcanic-stone arcades and dominated by the cathedral on the north side. On clear days, El…
• Museo Santuarios Andinos – Displays the frozen mummy of 'Juanita,' an Inca girl sacrificed on the summit of Ampato volcano, along with her burial offerings.
• Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa – A white neoclassical cathedral occupying the entire north side of the Plaza de Armas, where rooftop bell towers offer views of three volcan…
• Church of the Society of Jesus – A Jesuit church at the southeast corner of the Plaza de Armas, its 1698 façade covered in carvings, a masterpiece of Arequipa's mestizo Bar…
• Mirador de Yanahuara – A classic viewpoint framed by white volcanic-stone arches that frame Misti volcano, with poems by Arequipa writers carved into the arches.
• Mirador de Carmen Alto – A rural viewpoint in the Cayma district to the north, overlooking the pre-Inca terraces of the Chili River valley, with three volcanoes lin…
• Mansión del Fundador – A 17th-century rural estate once owned by the founder of Arequipa, preserving colonial-era furniture and paintings and built beside a river.
• Molino de Sabandía – A water mill of white volcanic stone, completed in 1621, where grass, streams, and Misti volcano make up a pastoral scene.
• Monastery of Santa Teresa – A Discalced Carmelite monastery completed in 1710, where the yellow cloister and religious art museum are well worth a visit.
• Basilica and Convent of San Francisco – A 16th-century Franciscan complex, where the church dome, the small plaza in front, and the handicraft market give the area an old-town atm…
• Casa del Moral – A representative 18th-century colonial mansion in Arequipa, with a doorway carving that blends Spanish coats of arms with mountain lion mot…
• Casa Tristán del Pozo – A colonial mansion built in 1738, now the cultural centre of a bank, where the courtyard and carved doorway can be visited free of charge.
• San Camilo Market – A 19th-century central market with an iron frame, where you'll find freshly squeezed juices, cheeses, and over a hundred kinds of potatoes…
• Recoleta Monastery – A Franciscan monastery on the west bank of the Chili River, home to a library of 20,000 rare books and an exhibit of Amazonian ethnographic…
• El Misti – A symmetrical, cone-shaped active volcano rising to 5,822 meters, the symbol of Arequipa. Two days are enough to reach the summit and look…
• Chachani – A volcanic massif rising to 6,057 meters, often called one of the easiest 6,000-meter peaks to climb, with vehicles able to take you up to…
• Ruta del Sillar – Open-air quarries where white volcanic stone is cut, plus Culebrillas Gorge, where you can watch stonemasons carve by hand and see rock art.
• Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve – A highland reserve along the road from Arequipa to Colca, where you can often spot wild vicuñas and guanacos by the roadside.

Where to eat

• La Nueva Palomino Picantería – One of the best-known traditional picanterías in Yanahuara, run by women of the same family for seven generations, serv…
• Zig Zag Restaurant – A popular restaurant facing Plaza San Francisco, known for alpaca and mixed meats grilled on hot volcanic stones.
• Chicha por Gastón Acurio – Celebrity chef Gastón Acurio reinterprets Arequipa cuisine with modern techniques in a colonial house opposite the Sant…
• Sol de Mayo – A century-old landmark in the Yanahuara district, hailed as the 'cathedral' of Arequipa's traditional cuisine, with cou…

Itineraries

• Peru Classic Southern Loop – A gradual altitude-acclimatizing loop from Lima via the White City, Colca Canyon, and Lake Titicaca to Cusco and Machu…
• Peru Desert Coast to Colca Canyon – Head south along the Pan-American Highway to see the Ballestas Islands, sand dunes, and Nazca Lines, then continue to t…