The 9 Best Things to Do in Arequipa, Peru
by Rebecca Hollman
updated Dec 13, 2018
Arequipa, Peru
Arequipa, or The White City, is Peru’s second largest city and one of its major tourist destinations. Located in the south of Peru, it is surrounded by the Andes mountains, volcanoes, and puna high grasslands. The surrounding areas are extremely beautiful and so attract many people who want to trek, mountain bike or mountaineer. The city itself is massive and offers many great restaurants, a large UNESCO designated historic center, and an abundance of things to do and explore.
1. Plaza de Armas
Arequipa is called “The White City” because of it’s distinctive buildings made from sillar - a white volcanic stone. Since Arequipa is surrounded by volcanoes, this stone was used for most of the building construction and has led to all of the buildings being white in the historic district today. Take some time to walk around the historic district and the Plaza de Armas of Arequipa to enjoy the beautiful stone and the intricate architecture of all the buildings.
2. Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve
This is one of the most underrated features of the Arequipa region. Everyone who visits Arequipa ends up visiting Colca Canyon, but few others venture to this reserve which is directly on the way to Colca Canyon. The reserve is over 350,000 hectares and covers mostly puna grasslands and high Andean plateaus covered with mountain lakes and meadows. The area is also surrounded by volcanoes, the most famous being El Misti. The reserve was initially created to help protect wild camelids (aka llamas, alpacas and vicuñas), flamingoes and the Andean forests. It is a popular place for mountain biking and hiking and has a large number of dedicated trails. It’s also a popular mountaineering area because of its proximity to volcanoes and the Andean mountain range. Some popular stopping areas in the reserve are the Chucura volcanic crater and the Umalaso hot springs.
3. Colca Canyon Trek
This epic 2 or 3 day trek into the Colca Canyon will leave you breathless… literally. After descending 17 kilometers down into the canyon, you will spend 1 or 2 nights at the bottom, and then climb straight up out the side of the canyon the next day. You will gain almost 1,500 feet in less than 4 hours, but the struggle up the side of the canyon is definitely worth it. Not only is the canyon itself beautiful, the entire surrounding valley and farmland is beautiful in itself.
Interested in trekking Colca Canyon? Read my entire detailed post describing everything you need to know about Colca Canyon.
4. Cotahuasi Canyon Trek
Colca Canyon has a big sister that almost no one ventures to. Just a little bit more north of Colca Canyon, is Cotahuasi Canyon. Slightly deeper than Colca, just as impressive, and with almost no crowds, Cotahuasi Canyon should be on your list. You can either base yourself in the centrally located Cotahuasi Town and do day treks from there, or you can plan a multi-day trek along one of the trails that covers more of the canyon. Tour agencies usually do anywhere from 4 to 8 day trekking tours through the canyon. Other attractions in the canyon are Incan and Wari archaeological ruins, white water rafting opportunities, hot springs, waterfalls and small Andean villages.
5. El Misti
For the truly fit and adventurous, you can try summiting El Misti - the volcano that dominates the skyline of Arequipa. Usually a handful of people attempt to climb the volcano each week but not all can make it to the summit, usually because of altitude issues. In general, it takes two days for the hike so you will need to have an appropriate tent/camping gear. There is no water on the volcano so you will have to pack all your water in with you. The hike is considered non-technical but is rated very strenuous because of the altitude. There are other volcanoes in the area that you can summit as well, but El Misti is the most popular because it is closest to Arequipa.
Learn more about climbing El Misti HERE
6. Santa Catalina Monastery
Go back in time as you step into the halls of this beautiful, walled monastery. Either take a guided tour or wander around on your own and explore the streets named after Spanish cities, the cloisters with their ornate painted walls, the inside of each nun’s apartment, and the view of El Misti from the lookout point. This monastery is so peaceful, serene and full of important history and knowledge.
Interested in visiting the Santa Catalina Monastery? Read my entire detailed post describing everything you need to know about the monastery.
7. Museo Santuarios Andinos
Discovered in 1995 on Mount Ampato, the largest peak in the Peruvian Andes, Juanita is sometimes referred to as the “ice maiden.” Her perfectly mummified body is on display in the Museo Santuarios Andinos in Arequipa. Sacrificed at the age of approximately 13 years old, Juanita is a perfectly preserved example of the Incan way of life and their sacrifices to the mountain gods in times of need. She apparently walked all the way from Cusco, to then summit the tallest mountain in the Andes in sandals as a 13 year old girl. After her exhausting travels, she was then sacrificed at the summit of the mountain along with many offerings and gifts. Because of the snow and freezing weather on the mountain, her body was almost perfectly preserved in her grave until mountain-climber and anthropologist Johan Reinhard discovered the girl. Other excavations on the mountain led to many more burial sites of sacrificed children. Juanita’s mummy, as well as many other artifacts found on the mountain in her or other graves, are on display in this small museum. No phones or cameras are allowed and you have to check them into a locker before entering the museum.
8. San Camilo Market
You can get pretty much anything at this massive marketplace. Food, drinks, clothing, souvenirs, spices, etc. - this market has it all. The thing that really caught my eye about this market was the massive amount of fruit they had for sale. I stopped and bought a fruit from a vendor if I didn’t recognize it and ended up trying so many weird exotic fruits. They also have about 40 vendors of fruit juice all trying to sell to you at the same time but it is super good and super cheap. In the back of the market is a whole section with full restaurants or vendors selling full meals if you want to stop in and get lunch. Otherwise, wander around the stalls and pick up some new and exotic foods.
9. Alpaca Mundo
Want to see llamas and alpacas right in the heart of Arequipa? Want to pet said llamas and alpacas? Then stop by Alpaca Mundo (Alpaca World). They have a fenced in yard with a handful of llamas and alpacas that will tolerate pets in exchange for alfalfa hay. After petting the alpacas for awhile, they will ask you to go into the building to see the rest of the “museum.” Inside, there are areas that shows how the fur is shorn and processed, the different types of domestic and wild camelids, historical machinery that was used for processing the fur, etc. The last area has a few women in traditional dress exhibiting the traditional weaving process. It also shows all the materials that are used to naturally dye the fibers. It is expected to give the weavers a small tip, especially if you take pictures of them. You will exit through the gift shop where you can buy sweaters/blankets/scarves/etc. made of the alpaca fur. Most of the stuff in here is pretty expensive, but it is also very high quality.
Interested in visiting Alpaca Mundo? Read my entire detailed post describing everything you need to know about Alpaca Mundo.