Arequipa
This convent shouldn’t be missed, even if you’ve overdosed on colonial edifices. Occupying a whole block and guarded by imposing high walls, it is one of…
Must-see attractions in Arequipa & Canyon Country
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Cañón Del Colca
This famed viewpoint is for many the highlight of their trip to the Cañón del Colca. A large family of Andean condors nests by the rocky outcrop and, with…
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Arequipa
There’s an escalating drama to this theatrically presented museum, dedicated to the preserved body of a frozen ‘mummy,’ and its compulsory guided tour …
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Arequipa
A must for visitors who want to see more of Arequipa's cathedral, the included 45-minute bilingual tour of this 'museum' is actually a peek at the inner…
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Cañón Del Colca
The spectacular views here are a highlight of Cabanaconde, taking in the mountain range, with the villages resembling specks of white dust clinging to its…
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Arequipa
This tranquil neighborhood makes for a pleasant, walkable excursion, with a mirador (lookout) as its centerpiece providing excellent views of Arequipa and…
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Arequipa & Canyon Country
A fascinating, mystical site in the high desert, Toro Muerto (meaning ‘Dead Bull’) is named for the herds of livestock that commonly died here from…
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Arequipa
This beautiful building on the Plaza de Armas stands out for its stark white sillar (volcanic rock) and massive size – it's the only cathedral in Peru…
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Arequipa & Canyon Country
This salt lake 4300m above sea level becomes a white salt flat during the dry months of May to December. Its size and the amount of water in it vary each…
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Arequipa & Canyon Country
The highest point on the road between Arequipa and Chivay is this almost lifeless pass which, at 4910m, is significantly higher than Europe’s Mt Blanc and…
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Convento y Museo de la Recoleta
Arequipa
Bibliophiles will delight in this musty monastery's huge library, which contains more than 20,000 dusty books and maps; the oldest volume dates to 1494…
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Arequipa
If Arequipa’s cathedral seems too big, an interesting antidote is this diminutive Jesuit church on the southeast corner of the Plaza de Armas. Proving…
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Arequipa
Arequipa’s main plaza, unblemished by modern interference, is a museum of the city’s sillar (volcanic rock) architecture – white, muscular and…
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Arequipa & Canyon Country
This high plain that lies between El Misti/Chachani and the Colca Canyon has an average height of around 4300m and supports plentiful bird and animal life…
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Arequipa & Canyon Country
The only civilization between Arequipa and Chivay, save for a few scattered farmsteads, is this fork in the road that acts as a kind of truck/bus stop and…
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Reserva Nacional Salinas y Aguada Blanca
Arequipa & Canyon Country
The paved road from Arequipa climbs northeast past volcanoes El Misti and Chachani to this national reserve, which covers 367,000 hectares at an average…
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Cañón Del Colca
The remnants of this pre-Inca settlement aren't visible from the road, but can be reached by a half-hour uphill hike from Yanque (or one hour along Carr…
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Arequipa & Canyon Country
This remote canyon is the deepest known canyon in the world - around twice the depth of the Grand Canyon, with stretches dropping down to below 3500m (11…
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Museo de Arte Virreinal de Santa Teresa
Arequipa
This gorgeous 17th-century Carmelite convent is open to the public as a living museum. The colonial-era buildings are justifiably famed for their…
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Arequipa
This magical neighborhood lane is Arequipa's most picturesque with radiant white sillar (volcanic rock) houses – people really live here – and pavers,…
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Cañón Del Colca
This university-run museum is unexpectedly comprehensive for a small village, explaining the culture of the Cañón del Colca in conscientious detail…
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Arequipa
This historic mill was built in 1785, fell into disrepair and was restored two centuries later; it now grinds once again for visitors. The neat grounds,…
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Arequipa
The house where Peruvian writer, activist and Nobel Prize in Literature recipient Mario Vargas Llosa was born has been converted into a creative museum…
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Arequipa
This 17th-century mansion once owned by Arequipa’s founder, Garcí Manuel de Carbajal, has been restored with original furnishings and paintings, and even…
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Cañón Del Colca
No light pollution equals excellent Milky Way vistas. The Casa Andina hotel six blocks southwest of the Plaza de Armas has a tiny observatory which holds…
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Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Arequipa
Arequipa
Set in a wonderfully restored casona (large house) and garden dating back to the founding of Arequipa itself in 1540, this museum's small, changing…
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Arequipa
The ornate Casa Ricketts has served as a seminary, archbishop’s palace, school and home to well-to-do families since it was built in 1738. Today it is the…
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Arequipa
Originally built in the 16th century, this church has been badly damaged by several earthquakes. It still stands in its sillar (white volcanic rock)-brick…
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Arequipa
This stylized baroque house built in 1730 is named after the 200-year-old mulberry tree in its central courtyard. Owned by the bank BCP since 2003 it is…
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Museo de la Universidad Nacional de San Agustín
Arequipa
One of many small university-run museums in Arequipa, this one’s a little more esoteric than most with themes jumping between archaeological remains,…
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Arequipa
The historical trajectory of both Arequipa and Peru is showcased in this educational, if unexciting, museum, split into different rooms dedicated to…
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Cañón Del Colca
These hot springs, a more basic version of La Calera in Chivay, are a 30-minute walk down to the river from the plaza. The early-bird opening time is…
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Arequipa
This chapel's polychrome cupola is smothered in jungle-like murals of tropical flowers, fruit and birds, among which mingle warriors and angels. It's…
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Museo Arqueológico de la Universidad Católica de Santa María
Arequipa
This university-run museum has interesting little displays on local excavation sites, as well as some artifacts, including surprisingly well-preserved…
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Arequipa
A colonial sillar (white volcanic rock) church and convento (monastery) complex that, despite extensive destruction from earthquakes, still retains…
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Arequipa
This baroque church was originally constructed in 1575, destroyed in an earthquake in 1868 and then rebuilt by the end of that century. The exterior is…
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Arequipa
This small church in Yanahuara dates from 1750. The highly venerated Virgen de Chapi was moved here after the 2001 earthquake destroyed the church it was…
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Arequipa
It's worth a peek inside this casona (large house); the Universidad Nacional de San Agustín (UNSA) is located within its 18th-century colonial halls and…
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Arequipa
This colonial church in the city center of Arequipa has a white interior that contrasts with its gold-leaf picture frames.
