The Plaza de Armas, the main square of Arequipa, surrounded by buildings made of sillar, a white volcanic stone.
Visit San Camilo Market, the oldest one located in the centre of the city. It's three blocks away from the main square.
See the Juanita Mummy in the Museo Santuarios Andinos. From May to November the main exhibit is the Dama de Ampato, also known as Juanita. It is close to the main square.
Convento de Santa Catalina, Arequipa
Convento de Santa Catalina is the most visited building from the Spanish era of the city. Described as a city within a city, this beautiful place with its colors, flowers and little streets will make you feel like you are back in time. Quite close to the Plaza de Armas.
One of the newest attractions is the Convento de Santa Teresa, a little off the usual tourist areas in downtown Arequipa. Not as interesting architecturally as the Convento de Santa Catalina, some of the paintings and artifacts are stunning.
Many of the almost 250 colonial buildings entitled as Human Heritage by UNESCO, are close to the main square. Some are turned to banks, stores, restaurants and departments. This practical way of preserving the city by finding a practical use to the historical buildings, provides a great experience to the visitor who feels like visiting a living museum.
Churches are among the most beautiful buildings preserved. They are all Catholic and you can visit them but be aware to have some respect because most of the population still practices the Catholic religion. La Compania, San Francisco, La Merced and the Cathedral are some of the most famous.
Molino de Sabandiá, Arequipa
Arequipa has beautiful bridges. Puente Bolognesi is the closest to the main square. Get there and visit the Tambos (ancient houses rebuilt by the city government and used as apartments). Great experience.
Puente Fierro is an iron bridge designed by Eiffel and still in service. A technological jewel located in Vallecito (10 blocks from main square) and a must for people who love trains and bridges. From the bridge, at golden time (4.00-5.00PM), you can get some of the best pictures from the volcanoes and the city.
Nearby, in the old countryside, is the Molino de Sabandía (Sabandía Mill), a three centuries old water mill, set in the old Arequipa countryside.
Also to be found in the old countryside is the Mansión del Fundador, a renovated centuries old Spanish Colonial mansion. Admission 10 S/, 5 S/ for students.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Arequipa
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Arequipa - updated Apr 2024
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Arequipa Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
