We have been in Arequipa, Peru for over a month but there is still so much to see! Yes, if you are on a tight time-frame, you can see a lot of Arequipa in a few days & still walk away happy. But, if you are senior travelers like The Big Guy & I, you might want a more leisurely stay in this beautiful city!
Is Arequipa, Peru also The White City?
Did you know Arequipa, Peru is also known as the The White City? There is an abundance of sillar or white volcanic stone. Arequipa is surrounded by four volcanoes & thus a LOT of the architecture in this town is built with sillar. Besides being in abundance, it is porous & lightweight. The Basilica at the Yanahuara Park is a prime example.
A Few More Things You Should Be Aware Upon Arrival
We arrived the last week of April & it is now the end of May. The weather here in Arequipa is AMAZING! A steady mid 70s during the day & just a slightly cool mid to high 50s at night. Not sure if it is due to weather or altitude we have had MINIMAL flies & no mosquitos even with our windows open every day. The breeze is wonderful.
Arequipa is at 7546 ft above sea level. Now you would think spending a few months in Quito, Ecuador at 9350 ft & reaching 12500 ft up Pichincha Volcano that the Arequipa altitude would be a breeze for these two senior travelers. Right? Wrong? Between Ecuador & Peru we spent three months in the states. Yeah, the altitude hit us hard coming back into Peru & had us sucking air for a few days. Just let me say the altitude just sucks the moisture from my skin. Lather up early, midday & night. I’m sure without the moisture my skin would look like this:
In short, just know you will need to be acclimated to the altitude before you start those walk-abouts but it will be so totally worth it! just take your time & stop to rest to get your breath if needed!
Grocery Shopping
There are several stores for grocery shopping. Our favorite is Tottus & is about a 20 minute walk from our location. The store carries groceries along with a LOT of children’s clothes. Other than that it is a splattering of electronics, bedding, kitchen, etc.
The one thing that I have yet to find is a spiral notebook. What Tottus had – I thought – very high priced? But after looking at another store that carried paper/pens, for me, spiral notebooks are not common & what was available priced way higher than I will pay.
Don’t forget your recycle bags for bagging your own groceries. A small plastic bag will cost .03 -.06 sole. It is just pennies on the dollar but if you are not prepared for a couple weeks groceries….Four bags will cost you a few pennies & are small.
Although these are not grocery shops – The vendors who lined the main streets in their little shops can vary widely in their prices. Bottom line, compare between two or three before you buy.
Don’t Dress Like A Tourist?
All I will say on this subject is research before entering if there is a dress code. Heck, as much as we want to be immersed into/with the locals, it is hard to look like a local. Here in Arequipa, my long blond hair stands out like a sore thumb against the shiny black hair here. The Big Guy gets stared at because of his size & absolutely because of his dark skin. It is mid 70s & when we go on our walks he may wear shorts & I may wear t-shirt with my jeans. The locals are dressed in long pants, jackets, hoodies, etc looking like the weather is 50 instead of what it is.
What you don’t see here on locals are tank tops & daisy dukes. When I have seen them on someone, I definitely got the idea that they were tourists.
Free Things To Do In Arequipa
Besides the snow capped volcanic mountains that you can view from the city streets there are many other sights you can see FREE! Those are the sights we will share with you today! As we venture farther out in the city we will share those with you in another post.
Free Walking Tours
If you are on a time constraint with just a few days to explore the inner sanctum of Arequipa than probably a scheduled walking tour might be right up your alley. We have not used this guided tour yet it may be for you. We pick out an area & check out the slghts,
Puente Bolognesi
We crossed this famous colonial bridge on our walk from our AirBnB to the Plaza de Armas. The view of snow capped volcanic mountains that reins over the Chili River were absolutely breathtaking!
This bridge also contains the Love Locks hung on verticals on bridge walkway.
Cobblestone Streets
It was a surprise to see so many one way cobblestone streets running off the main streets. Pretty to look at but hard to walk on. Sneakers or boots! I saw a few business women in heels & I wondered how they didn’t break heels getting caught? Remember you are in mountains so it is not unusual to be walking downnnnn or upppppp a street.
Plaza de Armas – Basilica Cathedral
The Basilica Cathedral covers the entire side the Plaza de Armas consisting of 70 vertical columns. Built in the 17th century, it has withstood many earthquakes although not that many decades ago the left pillar was damaged so bad that it had to be rebuilt. I couldn’t tell but they say it leans to the left now?
“A cathedral inside a museum” is the Museo de la Catdral de Arequipa. The museum is open for tours with Peruvian art & culture.
Scenic Yanahuara Overlook
The views from the Scenic Yanahuara Overlook are break taking.
This should get you started on your walking adventure in Arequipa, Peru. Each time we have walked over to the Overlook we have seen different & interesting shops, cozy little side streets & people. The park is a nice size with folks walking dogs or trying to get the little ones to stand still for photos. We are now planning some trips out so we will definitely let you know how those go. Until next time, stay healthy & get those travel plans in order.
