The next phase of our Peru adventures was a couple of days in Arequipa. We had originally planned to spend more time here, but we had to make some adjustments to our itinerary after spending more time in Lima than we had planned.

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Arriving in Arequipa

After a not-particularly-comfortable overnight bus ride from Nazca, we got to Arequipa around 5 am. A Peru Hop guide walked us down to our accommodation. Our first impressions of Arequipa were of old buildings and streets that were deserted except for the occasional taxi racing past. The formidable doors of the Flying Dog Hostel opened, and a sleepy staff member directed us to the lounge to make ourselves as comfortable as possible until breakfast started at 7:30 am.

After breakfast we checked into our room. We were please to find a room with plenty of space and a hot shower (not always a given in South America). We rested for a while, recovering from the bumpy overnight bus ride.

Initial Arequipa Exploration

Because we only had a couple of days in Arequipa, we knew we couldn’t sleep the whole day away. In any case, we were getting hungry. In any South American city, the main square is usually a good place to start, so we headed there.

Along the way we saw some of the historic buildings the city is famous for. Most of the blocks consist of historical buildings, it isn’t like some cities where the occasional historic building survives in between modern architecture.

The weather was spectacular, cool but sunny. The winter sunlight made even random buildings very photogenic.

As well as the overall scene, there were some interesting details along the way. Unfortunately, this frog fountain wasn’t running.

We eventually made it to the Plaza de Armas, which was a very pleasant space to relax in for a while.

The buildings around the plaza are made of the white volcanic rock which gives Arequipa its nickname – The White City.

Some of the buildings are carved with interesting detail, with the best example being the baroque Iglesia de la Compañía which has particularly intricate exterior decorations.

San Camilo Market 

By this stage we were getting hungry, so we headed to the San Camilo Market.

We squeezed around a small table in a crowded restaurant stall and enjoyed a tasty and very inexpensive chicken and rice lunch. We also tried chicha morada, a local drink made form purple corn. Heide and I liked it, Lachlan not so much.

After our lunch, we explored the market and picked up some fruit.

Arequipa’s proximity to the Amazon Basin means that there is a great variety of fruit to choose from.

There were some products available in the market that we definitely weren’t interested in purchasing.

At this point we were again feeling the effects of the overnight bus ride, so we headed back to our room for a siesta. We did manage to rouse ourselves for dinner after a while, and enjoyed some great grilled octopus. We don’t usually take pictures of our food, but we made an exception for this meal.

On our way back to the hostel, we saw some illuminated buildings that showed off the city’s historic style. This really is a picturesque city.

Mundo Alpaca

As we only had a couple of days in Arequipa, we planned for a busy day on our second day here. Our first stop was Mundo Alpaca.

Although this place is very obviously designed to sell alpaca wool products (and we couldn’t resist making some purchases), it’s worth a look even if you aren’t looking to buy anything.

The highlight was getting to meet and feed some alpacas.

We also saw interesting displays about the processes of turning alpaca fleece into alpaca wool, and weaving the wool into fabric.

We also saw a display of various machinery used in wool and fabric production over the years.

Monasterio de Santa Catalina

After some crepes for brunch at La Petite Française (highly recommended), we made our way to the Monasterio de Santa Catalina. This monastery was founded in the 16th century, and a group of Dominican nuns still lives there. It turned out to be the highlight of our couple of days in Arequipa.

This is a large, sprawling complex that operated as a “city within a city”. Once the nuns entered the monastery they joined a self-contained community and had little contact with the outside world.

The nuns came from well-to-do families who paid for their upkeep, so they led more comfortable lives than you might expect. As well as the traditional sights like courtyards and chapels that you would expect to see, it’s fascinating to see all the various living quarters.

The kitchens in particular were interesting. There was no electricity in the complex until the 1960s, so the kitchens all feature wood burning ovens that would not look out of place in a trendy pizza restaurant.

Another interesting feature is the communal laundry area, where the nuns’ servants would wash their clothes. Mountain runoff water channels into large earthenware vessels.

At one point you can climb to the roof of a chapel and look over the monastery complex to one of the volcanoes that looms over Arequipa.

The monastery also displays statues that are paraded around Arequipa on feast days and a monstrance made of gold and silver which is now kept in the monastery after being stolen (then recovered) from the church where it previously resided.

Photos from the Monasterio de Santa Catalina

After taking an informative guided tour, we spent some time wandering around the complex enjoying the interesting spaces. It’s an amazing place to take photos. There are all sorts of interesting details and angles, and the colors take on an amazing glow in the late afternoon sunshine we were lucky enough to experience.

Mirador de Yanahuara

We decided to visit one more destination to finish off our whirlwind couple of days in Arequipa. The Yanahuara outlook dates from the late 19th century, and provides a great view of Arequipa, with a stunning backdrop provided by the Misti volcano.

On our way to Yanahuara we passed a statue of the Peruvian war hero Francisco Bolognesi. He glowed in the afternoon sun.

When we arrived at The Yanahuara lookout we found a band playing classic rock covers. Soon after we arrived they played “Cocaine”. It seemed like an appropriate soundtrack for some South American sightseeing.

With the band set up on the main viewpoint terrace it took a bit of maneuvering to get a good view of Misti. I eventually managed to find the right angle and got the shot.

After much deliberation Lachlan picked up one of the fluffy alpacas he had been eyeing from one of the many souvenir stalls around the viewpoint.

Did We Enjoy Our Couple of Days in Arequipa?

Yes.

It’s a shame that we spent less time than planned in Arequipa. We would definitely recommend including at least a few days in Arequipa in your Peru itinerary.