Peru travel blog by Mark Berman -
April 2009
June 2012
January 2019
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I have visited Arequipa three times now, in 2009, 2012 and 2019. Arequipa is reminiscent in some ways of Cusco and is known as the white city because
of its many beautiful white buildings. One of the highlights in the city is the beautiful Plaza de Armas - a big wide open plaza with palm trees, grass areas,
flowers, fountain, pigeons and people enjoying the sun. It's surrounded by white buildings with the cathedral and many archways. The setting is amazing with the
snow-capped mountains in the distance. There are many good restaurants and bakeries in the city and the center is very clean. Get Used to the Altitude
Arequipa is at an altitude of 2300
meters above sea level, so the climate is not too cold. It's a good place to get used to the altitude before traveling to higher places like
Puno.
Churches, Plazas, Museums & Parks
The city is full of historic buildings with interesting colors and facades. Many of the streets are made of cobblestone with sidewalks made from larger smooth stone slabs.
There are 16 churches, monasteries and convents in the city. I've seen a few including Iglesia Santa Marta, Santa Rosa, Santa Teresa, San Francisco and Santo Domingo.
There are nearly 20 plazas and parks and 7 museums also, so there's a lot to see.
San Lazaro Neighbourhood
Up the hill away from the center is the neighborhood known
as San Lazaro. It's a neighbourhood with narrow streets and walkways, streetlamps and houses with arched wooden doors and windows with flower pots hanging outside.
It's a nice neighbourhood to walk around and you can see good views of the snowy mountains - Volcan Misti and Volcan Chachani.
The Founder's Mansion
The Founder's Mansion (La
Mansion del Fundador) in Arequipa is something you can see on a tour or you can make your own way there. This is the amazing mansion with a chapel and beautiful
flower gardens of Garci Manuel de Carbajal who founded Arequipa. The mansion is well-restored and features antique furniture, paintings, photos of the family and
beautiful architecture.
Historical Municipal Museum
Beside Plaza and Church San Francisco in Arequipa is the Historical Municipal Museum where mostly there are
paintings of famous local people on display in the main gallery. These people include Javier de Belaunde Ruiz de Somocurcio (1909-2013), a lawyer, politician and
historian, Jose Simion Tejada Mares (1826-1873), also a lawyer and politician and Francisco Gomez de la Torre (1865-1938), another lawyer. There's a sculpture of
Manuel Domingo Pantigozo Pinto (1901-1991), a painter and transcriber. The museum has 10 rooms focusing on prehispanic culture, colonial architecture, combat and war,
local earthquakes and much more.
Tour Offices
There are tour offices offering tours to Colca Canyon. The tours leave at around 3am in the morning in order to travel to Chivay
to see the condors in time. On the way back it is possible to see wildlife at Pampas Canahuas, views from the mirador at Patapampa, swim at the thermal pools in
Calera and see the church of Maca. I would love to do this tour one day! Better still, make your own way to Chivay and spend a few days enjoying the area at your
own pace.
Cheap Hotels
On my first time in Arequipa it was hard finding a hotel in the center that had a vacancy. My 2nd time I found a good budget hotel right beside
the bus terminal. That was much better and there are many restaurants and shops around here too. I stayed in the San Lazoro neighborhood on the 3rd occasion.
Bus to Juliaca and Puno
After my first and third times in Arequipa I headed to Juliaca (6hrs) and
Puno (40mins further).
The journey was all things bleak, barren and beautiful with snow-capped mountains, giant rock formations and wide open spaces. I loved to sit and take it all in.
The highway is in good condition. It is amazing how they built this road through that kind of terrain. After my 2nd time in Arequipa I headed to Atico on the coast which takes 5hrs and 30mins.
Fountain at the Plaza de Armas surrounded by arches at night in Arequipa.
Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa built in 1540 but destroyed by many earthquakes throughout history.
The San Lazaro neighborhood in Arequipa with narrow walkways.
Cathedral of Arequipa (1540), in 1854 the clock from England was installed and the organ from Belgium too.
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