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Arequipa is the second largest city in the South American country of Peru. Arequipa is located in the south of Peru in the Andes at an elevation of 2,380 metres (7,800 feet) and has a beautiful historic centre that’s listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Historic Centre of Arequipa
Arequipa, like many other cities in the Americas, was founded by the Spanish in 1540. A major earthquake in 1582 persuaded the settlers to build out of ‘sillar’ (volcanic rock) from the surrounding volcanoes, as it was strong, beautiful, and they had an inexhaustible supply of it. Testament to the strength of sillar is that many things that were built using this material still stand today, despite the fact that there have been several other earthquakes in Arequipa’s history.
Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa
The Plaza de Armas is the main square of Arequipa and it’s surrounded by buildings made of sillar. The Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa is one of the most important landmarks in the city and it’s right on the square. Dating back to the birth of the city in 1540, the cathedral has had a history of bad luck what with earthquakes and volcanoes erupting. Today it’s considered to be one of the most unusual and significant colonial cathedrals in Peru.
Santa Catalina Monastery
The Santa Catalina Monastery is reportedly the most visited Spanish colonial era building in the city. This beautiful place was built initially in 1580 and enlarged in the 17th century. About 20 nuns still live in one part of the monastery to this day while the rest is open to the public for tours.
Casa del Moral
Among the other popular sights in Arequipa is Casa del Moral, meaning House of the Moral. This was built around 1730 and is one of Peru’s best preserved examples of baroque-mestizo civil architecture. Inside the house is a large collection of paintings.
Flights to Arequipa
The airport in Arequipa is the Rodriguez Ballon Airport (airport code: AQP), and it's about 4 miles (7km) outside the city. Though the city is one of the more popular tourist destinations in Peru, there are limited options for flights to Arequipa when coming from the UK. You can book a 2-stop flight to Arequipa with TAM Linhas Aereas travelling through Sao Paulo and then the capital of Peru, Lima. Alternatively, you can stop in Madrid and Lima when flying with Iberia.Arequipa Tourist Attractions
Arequipa is one of Peru’s most popular destinations and it offers history and culture as well as fantastic scenery. The city is perched up in the Andes Mountains and is overlooked by the El Misti volcano, just one of three volcanoes surrounding the city, offering a variety of things for visitors to see and do.The Historic Centre of Arequipa
Arequipa, like many other cities in the Americas, was founded by the Spanish in 1540. A major earthquake in 1582 persuaded the settlers to build out of ‘sillar’ (volcanic rock) from the surrounding volcanoes, as it was strong, beautiful, and they had an inexhaustible supply of it. Testament to the strength of sillar is that many things that were built using this material still stand today, despite the fact that there have been several other earthquakes in Arequipa’s history.
Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa
The Plaza de Armas is the main square of Arequipa and it’s surrounded by buildings made of sillar. The Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa is one of the most important landmarks in the city and it’s right on the square. Dating back to the birth of the city in 1540, the cathedral has had a history of bad luck what with earthquakes and volcanoes erupting. Today it’s considered to be one of the most unusual and significant colonial cathedrals in Peru.
Santa Catalina Monastery
The Santa Catalina Monastery is reportedly the most visited Spanish colonial era building in the city. This beautiful place was built initially in 1580 and enlarged in the 17th century. About 20 nuns still live in one part of the monastery to this day while the rest is open to the public for tours.
Casa del Moral
Among the other popular sights in Arequipa is Casa del Moral, meaning House of the Moral. This was built around 1730 and is one of Peru’s best preserved examples of baroque-mestizo civil architecture. Inside the house is a large collection of paintings.