Arequipa, Peru

Fresh from the overnight bus, we took a taxi to our accommodation, Hostel La Hosteria. This turned out to be a charming small hotel, centrally located in a quiet street near the Monestario and only a few minutes walk from the Plaza de Armas. Lots of good restaurants in easy reach. The hotel is family run, by people who are anxious to help you in every way. We left our luggage here when we went to Colca Canyon. There is a nice balcony, and if the clouds shift, you can see the snow capped Andes. We stayed in room 301, and were very happy with that.


Entrance to La Hosteria is off a quiet street in the centre of Arequipa. The balcony has occasional views of the Andes

The Monasterio de Santa Catalina is a cloistered convent in the centre of Arequipa. The whole of the city centre is a World Heritage site. The monastery was built in the Mudéjar style in 1580 and was enlarged in the 17th century. There are today only 20 nuns living in the monastery, and they are tucked away in a small corner. Everything else open to the public

Initially the convent accepted only women from high-class Spanish families. Each nun brought their own servants or slaves, and lived a lavish lifestyle. A family would pay a dowry at their daughter's entrance to the convent, in modern British terms about £35,000. Although it was possible for poorer nuns to enter the convent without paying a dowry, it can be seen from the cells that most of the nuns were very wealthy.

In 1871 Sister Josefa Cadena, a strict Dominican nun, was sent by Pope Pius IX to reform the monastery. She freed all the servants and slaves, and returned the place to being a convent in the accepted meaning of the word.

In the 1960s, it was struck twice by earthquakes which severely damaged much of the building, the nuns built new accommodation for themselves and the original buildings were restored and opened to the public. As you walk through the monastery today, you can see that it is a small town with streets, arched colonnades, courtyards, with fountains, and many flowers and trees. There are churches and chapels and plazas.

The Monasterio was home to Sor Ana de Los Angeles Monteagudo (1595 - 1668), who rose within the nun's community, and was elected Mother Prioress. She was known for her accurate predictions of death and disease. She is credited with healings, including the severely afflicted painter who painted the only surviving portrait of her. Shortly after her death, a petition to name her a saint was submitted to the Catholic church. It wasn't until 1985 that Pope John Paul II visited this monastery for the beatification of Sor Ana.


Recalling the vow of silence	The monastery is a series of very	pretty courtyards, with rooms off	. There are chapels with frescos

Each nun had her own "cell"	The streets are characterised by their bright colours. You do not have the feeling of it being a convent

There are flowers everywhere	We pause in the tea room	This is the laundry which looks	like a major undertaking

Church domes are everywhere.	Ana de Los Angeles Monteagudo is much revered		And a last look at the flowers

The city of Arequipa still has many fine buildings to admire, and of course there are souvenir shops selling stuff like this little fellow

Arequipa is Peru's second city, at the foot of the snow-capped volcano El Misti. It has many fine colonial-era Spanish buildings many built of a white volcanic rock called sillar, and from which it gets its nickname La Ciudad Blanca ("the white city"). Its main claim to fame lies in the buildings, particularly the churches with their carved facades, and the Santa Catalina Monastery. The centre of the city was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 2000.

"The historical center of Arequipa is an example of ornamented architecture, represents a masterpiece of the creative coalition of European and native characteristics. A colonial town challenged by the conditions of nature, the indigenous influences, the conquest process and evangelism as well as for a spectacular natural scenario"


The street outside our hotel	Plaza de Armas	The long facade of the cathedral	Detail of a building in a courtyard

Cafe y Vino and its balcony	Delicate carving	A church in the city centre	Zig Zag Restaurant

And dinner at Zig Zag restaurant. In an old building overlooking a quaint church. They claim the staircase was designed by Eiffel, of the tower fame. Absolutely packed out of season, so you need to get there early. We had a fondue and enjoyed it. The service was good and was friendly. And yes, the pisco sours were good too. We enjoyed the experience of the atmosphere, the food and the service, and felt that it was reasonably priced

And another dinner at El Vinedo where we tucked in to their plate of grilled meat for 2. It is a very typical "South American" grill restaurant, right down to the waiters - you could be in Buenos Aires ! We ate in the back room to avoid the noise of the live band in the front room - but you may opt for the other way round. The grilled meats were well cooked - if you have never had a plate before, do try it. a big plate of several chops, steaks, sausages, etc, is put on a hot plate on the centre of the table and you help yourself. I would be surprised if you could eat it all, but they are happy for you to have a doggy bag for anything you cannot manage

We were in Arequipa for a night and then went out for a night to the Colca Canyon

We then returned for another night in Arequipa before boarding the bus to Puno and Lake Titicaca