Showing 1-21 of 21 results
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Casa de Moral
Built in 1730, Casa de Moral is named after the 200-year-old mulberry tree in its central courtyard. Owned by BCP, the house is now one of the most accessible for snooping, and bilingual guides are available. It has a fascinating little map collection charting South American development.
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Casa Ricketts
Another mansion that's easy to visit is Casa Ricketts . Built in 1738, it has served as a seminary, archbishop's palace, school, home to well-to-do families, and now as a working bank. Look for the puma-headed fountains in the interior courtyard.
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Casona Iriberry
Also worth a peek is the Casona Iriberry , housing the Universidad Nacional de San Agustín (UNSA) within its 18th-century colonial halls and patios.
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Cayma
Beyond Yanahuara is Cayma , another inner suburb of Arequipa's city center, nicknamed El Balcón (the Balcony) for its privileged views. To reach Cayma from Yanahuara, walk along San Vicente and then take Av Leon Velarde, or catch one of the regular combis marked 'Cayma' from Av Puente Grau.
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El Molino de Sabandía
A 3km walk from the plaza past notable Inca terracing brings you to El Molino de Sabandía . This mill was built in 1785, fell into disrepair and was restored two centuries later; it now grinds once more for visitors. The neat grounds, shaded with weeping willows and providing great views of El Misti, are a favorite of picnickers. Horseback rides are available outside the restaurant.
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Iglesia de la Compañía
Just off the southeastern corner of the Plaza de Armas, the Iglesia de la Compañía is one of the oldest Jesuit churches in Arequipa and is noted for its ornate main façade and main altar, which is carved in churrigueresque style (an elaborate and intricately decorated Latin American adaptation of Spanish baroque) and completely covered in gold leaf.
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Iglesia de San Francisco
Visiting hours for smaller churches in Arequipa are erratic, but most are open for sincere worshippers from to and to . Originally built in the 16th century, Iglesia de San Francisco has been badly damaged by several earthquakes. It still stands, however, and visitors can see a large crack in the cupola - testimony to the power of the quakes. Other colonial churches around the city center include San Agustín, La Merced and Santo Domingo.
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Iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel
In the inner suburb of Cayma you'll find the eye-catching Iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel , dating from 1730. For a tip, the church warden may take you up the small tower, which has panoramic views.
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Iglesia San Juan Batista
The Iglesia San Juan Batista dates from 1750. It housed the highly venerated Virgen de Chapi after the 2001 earthquake brought her small-town church tumbling down about her ears. The popular Fiesta de la Virgen de Chapi is held on May 1. At the side of the plaza there's a mirador (lookout) with excellent views of Arequipa and El Misti.
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La Catedral
La Catedral has a dogged history. The original structure, dating from 1656, was gutted by fire in 1844. It was consequently rebuilt, only to be promptly flattened by the earthquake of 1868. Most of what you now see has been rebuilt since then. The earthquake of June 2001 toppled one enormous tower and left the other slumped precariously, yet by the end of the following year the cathedral was looking as good as new once again.
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La Mansión del Fundador
The 17th-century La Mansión del Fundador , once owned by Arequipa's founder Garcí Manuel de Carbajal, has been restored with its original furnishings and paintings, and even has its own chapel. The mansion is in the village of Huasacache, 9km from Arequipa's city center, most easily reached by taxi. Local city tours occasionally stop here.
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Monasterio de la Recoleta
This musty monastery was constructed on the west side of the Río Chili in 1648 by Franciscan friars, though it has since been completely rebuilt. Scholarship was an integral part of the Franciscans' order, and bibliophiles will delight in their huge library, which contains more than 20,000 dusty books and maps; the oldest volume dates back to 1494.
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Monasterio de Santa Catalina
Occupying a whole block and guarded by imposing high walls, this convent is one of the most fascinating colonial religious buildings in Peru. But it's not just a building - the huge complex is almost a citadel within the city. It's a disorientating place - a forgotten world of narrow twisting streets and tiny fruit-filled plazas, hidden staircases, beautiful courtyards and ascetic living quarters.
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Museo de Arqueológico de Universidad Católica de Santa María
The university-run Museo de Arqueológico de Universidad Católica de Santa María has interesting little displays on local excavation sites, as well as some artifacts, including surprisingly well-preserved ancient ceramics. The student guides can be less than enthusiastic, though their spiels are well rehearsed (small tips expected).
Read more about Museo de Arqueológico de Universidad Católica de Santa María
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Museo de Arte Virreinal de Santa Teresa
This gorgeous 17th-century Carmelite convent was only recently opened to the public as a museum. The colonial-era buildings are famed for their decoratively painted walls and restored rooms filled with priceless votive objets d'art , murals, precious metalworks and colonial-era paintings.
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Museo Regional Histórico Etnológico Municipal
The small Museo Regional Histórico Etnológico Municipal is housed in a tumbledown colonial building. Paintings, historical documents, maps and other paraphernalia pertaining to the city's history are displayed here. Most interesting are the satirical caricatures of stately 19th-century Peruvian elite.
Read more about Museo Regional Histórico Etnológico Municipal
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Museo Santury
Officially called the Museo de la Universidad Católica de Santa María, this museum exhibits the frozen body of an Incan maiden - 'Juanita, the ice maiden' - sacrificed on the summit of Nevado Ampato over 500 years ago. Tours consist of a video, an examination of burial artifacts, then a respectful viewing of the frozen mummy preserved in a carefully monitored glass-walled exhibition freezer.
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Paucarpata
The rural suburb of Paucarpata , about 8km southeast of the city center, makes a pleasant country escape. Combis can be caught along Goyeneche, Independencia and Paucarpata, which is the eastern continuation of Mercaderes (25 minutes), or you can take a taxi. Paucarpata itself features an attractive colonial church on the main plaza and several good picanterías (local restaurants).
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Plaza de Armas
The Plaza de Armas showcases the city's sillar architecture and the cathedral. The colonnaded balconies overlooking the plaza are a great place to relax over a snack or a coffee, though it's the views you're be paying for, not the bland, overpriced café fare.
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San Ignacio chapel
To the left of the altar of the Iglesia de la Compañía is the San Ignacio chapel , with a polychrome cupola smothered in junglelike murals of tropical flowers, fruit and birds, among which mingle warriors and angels.
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Yanahuara
The peaceful neighborhood of Yanahuara makes a diverting excursion from the city center. It's within walking distance: go west on Av Puente Grau over the Puente Grau bridge, and continue on Av Ejército for half a dozen blocks. Turn right on Av Lima and walk five blocks to a small plaza. At the side of the plaza there's a mirador (lookout) with excellent views of Arequipa and El Misti.
Showing 1-21 of 21 results
