Arequipa is ruled by its volcanoes. We see it on the walls of its streets, buildings and churches; in the wonderful geography that gives us a fertile valley and deep canyons. Can you imagine enjoying a thermal bath while looking at the green mountains crowned by eternal snows?
Arequipa is a place to stay, for its unique food, for its history, for its majestic cordiality.
Arequipa, the legendary and historical white city, where the nobility breathes under the eternal vigilance of its volcanoes.
Arequipa is the second most populated city in Peru, it was founded on August 15, 1540 under the name of «Villa Hermosa de Nuestra Señora de la Asunta» in the name of the Marquis Francisco Pizarro, it has a great cultural and natural diversity of deep canyons, marvelous beaches, snow-capped mountains and imposing buildings made of white ashlar, thus keeping its historical, religious and ancestral legacy intact.
Your inevitable destiny!
Location
Arequipa is located in the southwest of Peru at an altitude of 2325 meters above sea level. facing the Pacific Ocean with 528 km of coastline. Due to its location, it is the commercial center of the southern part of Peru and it is also part of the southern Peruvian tourist corridor.
Altitude
The city of Arequipa is located at an altitude of 2328 meters above sea level.
Weather in Arequipa
The weather in Arequipa is dry in winter, autumn and spring due to atmospheric humidity. Arequipa justifies its nickname of the City of Eternal Blue Sky because it has temperatures that do not rise above 25 ° C and very rarely fall below 10 ° C. The wet season occurs from December to March and is translated by the presence of clouds in the afternoon and scarce rainfall at night. In the winter of June, July, the weather in Arequipa is a little colder, it drops to about 10 ° C, but the dry climate helps to feel the cold with less intensity.
Best time to travel
The best time to visit Arequipa is the month of August, during the first fortnight. This is when the founding of the city is celebrated with numerous fairs, bull fights, fireworks, tourist and recreational activities. It should be noted that during the months of January to March there are quite moderate rains, during the rest of the year, as we mentioned, the climate remains stable and you will not suffer much difference between each season.
How to get to Arequipa?
The traditional ways to get to Arequipa are by air or bus travel.
Land route
The city of Arequipa is interconnected with the cities of southern Peru through the South Pan-American Highway, being able to reach it from Tacna and Chile. There are regular and daily bus transportation services to and from Arequipa, Cusco, Puno, Tacna, Nazca and others.
Airway
The city of Arequipa has the Teniente FAP Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón airport, recently remodeled with comfortable facilities and services. It operates daily and regular flights from the city of Lima, Cusco and Puno (Juliaca).
How to get from Arequipa to Cusco?
If you are in Arequipa and you want to continue your trip to the imperial city of Cusco, you have two options to get from Arequipa to Cusco, that will depend a lot on whether you have time and want to visit Puno sooner or not.
- Air: This option to get from Arequipa to Cusco is the fastest and only takes 30 minutes from Arequipa airport to Velasco Astete airport in Cusco.
- Land: The trip from Arequipa to Cusco by bus takes approximately 11 hours and there are several companies that offer this service with departures during the day and at night. Prices range from 70 to 200 soles.
In Cusco there are two places you must visit before Machu Picchu: hike to rainbow mountain peru and the humantay lake full day tour.
What to see in Arequipa
Like the vast majority of cities in Peru, Arequipa has different attractions to enjoy, here are the most outstanding ones.
Monastery of Santa Catalina
Built to house the daughters of the city’s most distinguished families, the monastery was inaugurated on October 2, 1580 as a center of absolute closure. It occupies an area of ??20 thousand square meters, it has been conditioned as a gallery to exhibit some canvases from the Cusco, Arequipa and Quito schools. It also has other rooms or sectors to visit such as the Cloister of the Gate, the Pre-Columbian Museum, the Cloister of San Francisco, the Amazon Museum, etc.
The Misti volcano
El Misti, with its 5825 meters above sea level, has always been the emblem of Arequipa. In addition, from the top of its summit it is possible to see the city of Arequipa, the Chili river valley and the Chachani and PichuPichu volcanoes.
Chivay and the Colca Valley
Capital of the province of Caylloma, are the thermal baths of La Calera. Its beautiful landscapes and towns surrounded by a diversity of platforms and inhabited by the descendants of the collaguas and cabanas. The first town to which it is taken is Chivay, where there is a varied offer of tourist services, cabanaconde and the cross of the condor, a viewpoint from where you can appreciate the majestic flight of this beautiful bird and the depth of the Colca canyon in whose rivers you can go canoeing in rafts, canoes and kayaks.
Archaeological Remains of Quebrada de la Waca or Puerto Inca
Archaeological complex that stands out for its long occupation, as it presents remains that date from the pre-ceramic to the 14th and 15th centuries, indicating the Inca presence. Some archaeologists and historians consider that from this place it left to one of the most important Inca roads after entering Ayacucho territory, it reached Cusco.
Arequipa Volcanoes
The city of Arequipa, apart from its impressive culture and architecture, offers true landscapes that will enchant the visitor who has the opportunity to visit them.
Arequipa has a diversity of volcanoes among which we have the Misti volcano with (5,820 meters high), the Chachani volcano with (6,075 meters high), the Pichu Pichu volcano with (), the Sabancaya volcano with (5,976 meters high ), the Ampato volcano (6,288 meters high), the Hualca Hualca volcano (6,025 meters high) and the Coropuna volcano (6,425 meters high).
Climbing the most famous volcano in Arequipa
The Misti volcano can seem like an impassive observer of the city of Arequipa. However, the brave and prepared traveler can try to climb the giant Peruvian Apu, from which to observe the world from an almost magical distance.
This two-day adventure can be done with a guide, and will take you to rise above the clouds, to more than 5,000 meters. To achieve this, it is required to be somewhat physically prepared, not have health problems and have travel insurance -the climb on day one takes about six hours, but on day two the traveler is expected to walk for more than ten with oxygen levels very low-. If we are prepared for this, and we also understand the risks involved in walking through the belly of a dormant volcano (but still active), then we should not doubt it, since sleeping on its slope, with Arequipa shining in the distance, is one of those experiences that will never be forgotten again in life.
Thus, if Arequipa is the White City of Justice and Gastronomy, the Misti is its guardian, a giant who knows that he has absolute power over the humans who sleep 5,820 meters below him. Therefore, if you decide to start climbing, do it quietly and calmly, because this divinity would not like to be awakened by surprise. And when you reach its summit and return to the city, do it knowing that you are walking through one of the most historic places in Peru, the beautiful white city that loves a volcano.
Festivities in Arequipa
Next we will mention some important festivities of the city of Arequipa:
- January 6: Anniversary of the creation of Mollendo.
- February 02: Festivity of the Virgin of Candelaria in Chivay.
- March / April (movable date): Carnivals in Arequipa.
- March / April (movable date): Easter in Arequipa. Traditional festival of greatest popular fervor in Peru, since unmemorable years, various processions are held that commemorate the passion and death of Jesus Christ.
- April 22: Anniversary of the Foundation of the Sabandía District. Celebration with cultural, agricultural and livestock activities. Gastronomic activities in typical food restaurants. Visit to the various tourist circuits.
- May 01 – 03: Traditional pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the Virgin of Chapi, located 45 km from Arequipa. Many devotees make the custom of making the promise to go 3 consecutive years to the Shrine.
- July 28 and 29: National holidays; commemoration of the independence of Peru; Civic-military activities are carried out throughout the country, throughout the national territory, and regional and local fairs are also very popular.
- August 15: Anniversary of the creation of Arequipa. Display of civic-religious, cultural activities, float parades, festivals, popular, burning fireworks, shows, sports, etc.
- August 15: Feast of the Virgin Asunta, in the towns of Chivay, Andagua and Machaguay.
- August 30: Festivity in homage to Santa Rosa.
- November 1st and 2nd: All Saints and Dead’s Day. People go to cemeteries to visit their deceased, bringing them flowers, celebrating with music, food and drinks.
- December 08: Feast of the Immaculate Conception in Chivay and Cayma.
- December 09: Feast of the Immaculate in Chivay and Cayma.
