Tourist Places in Arequipa that you must visit

Arequipa, The so-called White City is one of the most beautiful cities in South America, and that is due to its sillar constructions, the elegance of its buildings and the colonial architecture that can still be seen in its streets. Strolling through the historic center is a delight, enjoying the beautiful landscapes that surround the white city.

You can visit the city on your own or plan your trip with an agency. However, its streets and corners keep a lot of history and curiosities, so to find out everything, I recommend you to visit Arequipa with Andino Peru Tours to learn from the hand of a guide everything that this city has to tell.

Main Square

Arequipa seemed to me the most refined city in Peru. The original layout of the city and the most important buildings of the colony are still preserved. They call it the White City for its cleanliness and its buildings of impeccable white ashlar and its Plaza de Armas is a good example of this architecture.

On one of its sides stands its imposing Cathedral and on the other three, two-story white buildings with arcades, full of cafes and restaurants. Although they are somewhat expensive, it is well worth going up to have a drink on their terraces to have an unbeatable view of the Cathedral and the square.

Santa Catalina Convent

A little more cheerful is the visit to the Convent of Santa Catalina, which I would define as a city within the city full of curiosities. To begin with, the Convent is not one building, but many, forming an architectural ensemble. In it the cells of the cloistered nuns are mixed with kitchens and chapels, becoming a labyrinth. It has courtyards and 6 streets full of flowers, all named after Spanish cities (Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Burgos and Toledo).

The most interesting of all is to learn about the history of the nuns who lived there, especially that of Sister Ana de los Angeles. It is said that she worked multiple miracles, such as healing sick people and predicting illnesses that some of her relatives would have later (and that were corroborated).

Andean Sanctuary Museum

A few meters from here is the Museo Santuarios Andinos. Maybe this doesn't tell you anything, but here inside is hidden one of the greatest treasures of Arequipa: the mummy Juanita. Juanita was an Inca maiden and was found in 1995 by two mountaineers at the top of the Ampato volcano, one of the snow-capped mountains near the city.

It is a must-see, as it is one of the best preserved Inca mummies, along with the children of Salta (in Argentina). It is striking how well preserved her teeth, clothes and even her hands are. He probably died of a blow to the head as a sacrifice to the gods, an Inca custom as sacred to them as it is horrible to us.

Viewpoint of Yanahuara

One of the most beautiful places to see in Arequipa is the Yanahuara area. It is known for its viewpoint, as it overlooks the city and is formed by 9 arches in which you can read phrases dedicated to the city and the Arequipa people (you can see one of them in the first picture of the post). However, the viewpoint is not the only interesting thing.

The square of Yanahuara is very well kept, with several palm trees that adorn the center. On one of its sides is the Parish of San Juan Bautista de Yanahuara, which is tiny, but has a beautiful facade. Just in front of it, on the other side of the square, I was struck by another arch, also with a phrase, which led to a street decorated with flowers and reminded me of Andalusia. In addition, in the square you will find some places where you can try the frozen cheese.

Carmen Alto viewpoint

Another famous viewpoint in the surroundings of Arequipa is Carmen Alto. Here the viewpoint itself is not so nice, but the views are much better, and from there you can see the 3 volcanoes near the city: the Misti, the Chachani and the Pichu Pichu.

In this viewpoint you can feel the nature, and the landscape, besides being dominated by volcanoes, is composed of fields and farmland. You can appreciate the course of the Chili River and, on its sides, the cultivation terraces that have been used since pre-Inca times.

Route of the Sillar

A place that is becoming very fashionable lately are the quarries of sillar, the stone with which the main buildings that you can see in the center and countryside of Arequipa were built. These quarries are located on the outskirts of the city, in the area near the airport, and there you can learn about the work of the stonemasons and admire some of the decorations carved into the rock walls.

You can visit the quarries with a tour of the sillar that will also allow you to see another nearby place: the Culebrillas Canyon. This is a ravine that is the result of water erosion in the rock, and you can walk along its walls and admire petroglyphs.

Excursion to the Colca Valley

I end the recommendations with the Colca Valley, one of the main places to see in Arequipa, although it is located about 200 kilometers from the city. It is well worth taking a tour to see it, because there you can see the condors flying in their natural habitat. And what a habitat!

La Cruz del Condor, the key place to see these birds in action, is located in the Colca River Canyon, where the cliffs reach 4,000 meters. In addition, throughout the valley there are beautiful landscapes and charming villages, such as Maca or Chivay.

If you have plans to travel do not hesitate to contact us, we are Andino Peru Tours, we design your trips to your liking, plan your trip now!