Arequipa Historic Centre and Santa Catalina Monastery

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historical Centre Of The City Of Arequipa (2000). A Spanish Colonial City Built From White Sillar Volcanic Rock, With The Santa Catalina Monastery, A Walled Convent City, And Views Of El Misti And Chachani Volcanoes. · Arequipa, Arequipa

Arequipa is Peru's second city, known as the White City because its colonial centre is built from sillar, a pale volcanic stone quarried nearby. It sits at about 2,350 m in a dry, sunny basin, with the cone of El Misti volcano rising behind the Plaza de Armas, its arcades and the cathedral that fills one whole side. The centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main sight is the Santa Catalina Monastery, founded in 1579: a walled convent city of about 20,000 square metres with blue and orange streets, cloisters and tiny kitchens, where nuns lived until 1970. Around it are the Museo Santuarios Andinos, the Yanahuara viewpoint with its stone arches, the San Camilo market and the picanterias serving spicy local food. Arequipa is also the base for Colca Canyon, Chachani and El Misti climbs. It is calm, walkable and easy, though the altitude and strong sun are real. Earthquakes and volcanic ash are a known risk, so note your hotel exits. Give it two or three days; the best walking hours are morning and just before sunset.

White volcanic-stone colonial city at about 2,350 m beneath the El Misti volcano, with the Plaza de Armas and Santa Catalina Monastery a short walk apart, Arequipa, Arequipa, Peru

The Plaza de Armas, the arcades and the streets are open at all hours and cost nothing. Santa Catalina opens in the morning and closes late afternoon, with some evenings open for a candle-lit visit at extra cost; confirm the days and times locally. Museums and churches keep shorter hours, often closing midday or on Sundays. The Juanita museum runs guided tours only. Markets start at dawn and wind down by early afternoon.

Arequipa Historic Centre and Santa Catalina Monastery on Spottos · Explore more places on Spottos