12 Best Things to Do in Arequipa: Santa Catalina, Juanita, Sillar & Colca Canyon

From sixteenth-century cloistered streets painted in cobalt and terracotta to high-altitude Inca ice mummies, hand-cut volcanic quarries, and soaring Andean condors, Arequipa rewards unhurried exploration. Here are the twelve essential experiences in and around Peru's White City.

1. Historic Sillar Monuments and Museums

1. Wander the Citadel of Monasterio de Santa Catalina (1579): Spend two to three hours exploring the 20,000-square-metre convent of Santa Catalina, with its indigo-blue Orange Tree Cloister, narrow Andalusian-named streets, wood-fired nuns' kitchens, and rooftop views of Misti and Chachani.
2. Tour the Basílica Catedral & Climb to the Bell Towers: Walk across Plaza de Armas to visit the 107-metre-wide neo-Renaissance cathedral, its 1854 Belgian Loret pipe organ, and its panoramic roof terrace.
3. Admire the Mestizo Baroque Iglesia de la Compañía (1698): Study the lace-like volcanic stone portal of the Jesuit church, step inside the polychrome jungle dome of the Capilla de San Ignacio, and stroll the carved arches of the Claustros de la Compañía.
4. See Mummy Juanita at Museo Santuarios Andinos: Learn about the Inca Capacocha mountain sacrifice ritual and view the frozen 500-year-old maiden discovered on 6,288-metre Nevado Ampato at Museo Santuarios Andinos.
5. Step Inside 18th-Century Sillar Mansions: Tour the mulberry-shaded courtyard of Casa del Moral (c. 1730), Casa Tristán del Pozo (1738), and the viceregal art halls of Monasterio de Santa Teresa.

2. Viewpoints, Markets, and Wood-Fired Picanterías

6. Frame Volcán Misti at Mirador de Yanahuara & Carmen Alto: Cross the Chili River to read the nineteenth-century poetic inscriptions on the sillar arches of Mirador de Yanahuara and look out over 1,000 hectares of pre-Inca agricultural terraces at Mirador de Carmen Alto.
7. Eat Rocoto Relleno & Chupe de Camarones at a Traditional Picantería: Join locals between 12:00 and 16:00 at a wood-fired Arequipa picantería to taste stuffed rocoto peppers with potato gratin and river-prawn chowder.
8. Sample Highland Fruit Juices & Queso Helado at Mercado San Camilo: Under the 1881 iron roof designed by Gustave Eiffel's workshops, order a freshly blended papayita arequipeña juice and cinnamon-dusted queso helado.
9. Explore Barrio de San Lázaro & Mundo Alpaca: Walk the narrow white volcanic-stone lanes of Arequipa's oldest quarter and meet live Suri and Huacaya alpacas at Mundo Alpaca.

3. Canyons, Quarries, and High Andean Reserves

4. Artisanal Queso Helado After Sightseeing

Finish afternoon walks with hand-spun coconut-and-cinnamon ice cream near Santa Catalina.

10. Walk the Añashuayco Quarries & Culebrillas Canyon on the Ruta del Sillar: Watch master stonecutters split white ignimbrite blocks beneath 30-metre cliffs and walk the pink slot canyon of Quebrada de Culebrillas.
11. Watch Andean Condors at Cruz del Cóndor in the Colca Canyon: Travel into the Colca Valley to see three-metre-wingspan condors ride the morning thermals above one of the world's deepest canyons.
12. Visit Laguna de Salinas (4,300 m) or Climb Volcán Misti (5,822 m): Spot wild vicuñas and Andean flamingos on the salt flats of Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve.