After a pleasant stay in Lima with our friends Ben and Susana, we started our “solo“ South American tour and the first phase of our round-the-world project in Arequipa.

Lima is a great place to visit, full of historic buildings and monuments, and our last impression of this fantastic city was about the amazing cuisine that seduces every visitor.

We were also a bit concerned about the effect of the altitude while we were in Arequipa and around the city. Perhaps not so much in the city itself, which is located about 2,300m above sea level, but more in the vicinity as some of the tours we wanted to take would go up to 5,000m. It was Noah’s first time at altitude and we tried to be as cautious as possible, because after all we want him to enjoy this trip as much as we do. We didn’t have a problem in Arequipa, and it was only a slight problem in Colca which we will mention in the next post.

Our flight was not long and we arrived in the middle of the day. The first views of the city were simply amazing. The surrounding scenery and especially the Misti volcano took our breath away.

Sightseeing in Arequipa

The lodge that we chose was located just a few meters from the main square, Plaza de Armas, which was great as it meant we could stay and enjoy the square for longer at night. Noah also really enjoyed playing in the well-maintained square and the central fountain that brings a nice touch to its already beautiful surroundings. Traffic and protests are banned in the Plaza so this is quite a tourist-friendly place.

Another place that we really wanted to visit but decided not to enter was the Monasterio de Santa Catalina. It seems to be an obligatory stop, but firstly we thought it was a bit expensive (40 soles per person) and secondly it seemed to be too peaceful and quiet for Noah :). One of us could’ve easily visited on our own, but as we need to be careful with our expenses it was a good decision not to go. Still, the monastery is beautiful from the outside and I’m sure this is a place that we need to visit one day.

Tour de Campiña in Arequipa

We only had just over two days in the city and we had to choose what to do wisely in order to enjoy the region to the fullest. Therefore one of the first things we did was find good tours to Colca Canyon, which is a must for every visitor. This tour was planned for our last day in Arequipa.

Then we had to decide how to explore the city of Arequipa itself. We took the most common tour called Tour de Campiña. It takes you to some sights around the city and it is not expensive. We were patient enough to check with a few agencies that sell the tour so that we could get the best price and see as many places as possible. Our tour cost S/ 40 for the 3 of us (as Noah is only 4 we did not pay for him because he could sit on our laps – I think this will be the case in many other places during our trip).

It was a nice tour but it could be left out as some places, although beautiful, were not must-sees. Still, we enjoyed it very much and so did Noah, especially when he got to ride a horse (this was his first time, as previously he had only ridden a pony).

Iglesia y Plaza de Yanahuara – this is a nice church and this stop provides some great views of the surroundings in Arequipa though the arches.

Mirador Carmen Alto

Mansión del Fundador

Molino Sabandia

To end the day we had dinner at one of the restaurants located in the Plaza de Armas which serves traditional food.

It was a good introduction to Arequipa, to the altitude, and especially to traditional Peru. Next stop, Colca Canyon!