Arequipa

Arequipa is a city in the Southern Coastal region of Peru just below the edge of the Altiplano, at above sea level and surrounded by three impressive volcanoes. It's Peru's second most important city (after Lima), and the second most popular among tourists (after Cusco).

Understand
The city is part of the so-called "Southern Peru Tourist Corridor", together with Nazca, Puno and Cusco. In contrast to these other cities, Arequipa is an example of the Spanish and mestizo culture developed in Peru. There are no Inca artifacts or ruins in the city.

In the winter it is warmer than in the summer. It is nicknamed the 'white city' (la ciudad blanca, in Spanish), because many of the buildings in the area are built of sillar, a white stone. This rock was quarried from the many volcanoes that surround the city, including the towering El Misti. Ask for local help to identify Misti, Chachani and PichuPichu, the three volcanoes surrounding the city.

Arequipa embodies a rich mix of the indigenous and Spanish colonial cultures. With almost 500 years of history since its founding, examples of Spanish colonial architecture can be found throughout the center of the city and several surrounding districts; UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage site. Catholic churches are scattered throughout the center of the city. Some old houses have been refurbished by the local authorities and serve as living museums. An example of this are the so-called "Tambos" located at Puente Bolognesi Street.

By plane
By far the easiest way to get to Arequipa is by plane,
 * Latam (Lima, Cusco)
 * JetSmart (Lima, Cusco)
 * Sky Peru (Lima)
 * Sky Peru (Lima)

A taxi from the airport to the Plaza de Armas costs a flat-rate of S/25 (soles). Signs are posted with this rate, but depending on the size of the car, the size of your bags and your bargaining skills you could pay less. No public transportation is available to/from the airport.

By bus
There are two terminals serving the city, Terminal Terrestre and Terminal Terrapuerto. They're next to each other, about from the center. A taxi should cost around S/8.

Try to avoid cheap buses &mdash; the more you pay, the higher the quality of service, and safety. Some of the more reputable companies are Cruz del Sur, Ormeño, Excluciva (full 180º beds with meals served, S/130 ), Oltursa and Cromotex (S/70 to Lima, good value and security), Flores (a good budget option, but only with their "super dorado" and similar services, their economic is best to be avoided for safety reasons (high accident rate). Their station is across the street from Terminal Terrestre.) If you take the night bus make sure the bus is air-conditioned. There are cheap companies like Julsa which don't heat their buses, meaning the temperature can sink close to 0°C, and some don't have bathrooms. Compare prices between booking online, in the office or via an agency since it can vary up to 100% for exactly the same seat and service.

From Lima (S/30-130, 16–18 hours) it's advisable to take non-stop express buses &mdash; though more expensive, they tend to be safer. Oltursa and Excluciva buses depart from dedicated VIP terminals in the San Isidrio area of Lima.

Peru Hop offers buses to Arequipa, as well. Unlike other buses that provide a direct service with nothing to see along the way, Peru Hop bus passes include stops where you can choose to hop off along the way to Arequipa. Their stops from Lima to Arequipa include Paracas, Huacachina and Nazca. Peru Hop offers free hotel and hostel pick-up and drop-off.

There are several buses per day from Cusco (9 hours, S/30-120), Puno (5–6 hours, S/25-50), Pisco (12–14 hours, S/50-150), Nazca (9 hours, S/50-150) and Tacna (near the border with Chile, 6–8 hours). If you take a Peru Hop bus from Cusco to Arequipa you can choose to hop off in Puno.

La Paz Ormeños has direct buses leaving at 01:00 every day, passing through Puno at 06:00 (S/40) and arriving in La Paz at 12:00 ($60).

By train
Charter trains to Juliaca and Puno are only available for groups of 40 or more.

By foot
The city has an urban area that can be explored on foot. The historical center is a 5-block area around the main square and it's very easy to visit following one of the many maps available at the hotels or any information office. Some ancient districts like Yanahuara and Cayma are also within walking distance.

By taxi
If you want to take a taxi, you should take a "safe one". Rules to recognize them: they have signs on the roof. The more common the sign, the bigger the company and the safer the taxi. Another tip is to take one that has just set down a passenger. Avoid taking taxis that are stationary and obviously waiting for passengers.

Prices are per ride. A ride from the main square to any place in the central district will be S/4-7. A taxi from the bus station to any hotel, S/8. From the airport, the price varies between S/20-30. Some cab drivers try to rip you off by saying prices are per head but price is always per ride for all passengers. Allow for a minor extra charge for luggage (usually half a sol per large piece).

By car
You can rent a car with a driver included and go all around Arequipa for just $6 an hour. There are many taxi companies that can be trusted like Panataxi, Taxitel, Turismo Arequipa and Megataxi. For your safety, if you leave a restaurant or disco late night and want to come back to your hotel in a taxi, ask the restaurant to call a safe taxi.

You can rent a truck at a very low rate including a driver (just US$55 per 8 hours plus diesel expenses), call or email: fbedregal@yahoo.com, and go ahead and visit Arequipa's outskirts and places such Colca River, Majes, and the beaches at Camana and Mollendo.

See
Many of the almost 250 colonial buildings named as Human Heritage by UNESCO, are close to the main square. Some have been turned into banks, stores, restaurants and private residences.

Churches are among the most beautiful buildings preserved. They are all Catholic and you can visit them but always with a respectful eye towards the people there who may be worshiping. Most of the population still practices the Catholic religion. La Compañía de Jesús, San Francisco, La Merced and the Cathedral are some of the most famous.

A good place to watch the sunset in Arequipa is from any of the third floor restaurants on the main square. Make sure you arrive a little in advance because there will be others as well. The view of the mountains and the main square is amazing.















Adventure



 * Ride in Peru - address : Calle San Rafael 0-2 (between house 504 and 534), urb Los Angeles, cercado, Arequipa - phone : 214444 / 974211440 - email : reservas@rideinperu.com - Imagine Peru offers horseback rides and tours in the Colca. They have Peruvian Paso Horses and a lot of different rides to try in these splendid Colca landscapes. Opened to beginners and confirmed riders. Departure everyday.
 * Downhill volcano biking - Offered at several levels of difficulty. Half day adventure managed by professional guides. S/70-80. They provide all the required equipment. Very safe. Great countryside views.
 * Volcano climbing - Two options: an excursion to Misti or a real climbing to the more difficult Chachani. Two-day tour. The first one with low difficulty level the second one with medium difficulty. Altitude is usually the worst enemy for visitors. Chachani is over 6,000-meter altitude. Book with professional operators. Price around US$90/person.
 * Whitewater rafting - Arequipa has some of the best rivers of the world. A typical half-day tour with some 90-min of rafting will cost you about S/70.

Spanish language
Because of its weather, its friendly people and lower prices when compared to Lima or Cusco, Arequipa is a great place to learn Spanish. Several schools are available, most of them with excellent programs. Classes are usually offered on a per week basis and with accommodation packages included.





Cooking lessons
This is an excellent opportunity to share with local cooks and work with them in preparing delicious local cuisine. The experience starts with selecting the products, then preparing and cooking them. After that, you can serve and enjoy the results in the form of a good traditional meal.



Buy
Arequipa is called the world's capital of the alpaca, a wool that comes from these Andean camelids and is considered very fine and valuable. Big factories and several boutiques offer fine products at great prices. A good quality alpaca sweater will be S/70-180 according to colors and designs. Some handicraft stores offer very cheap alpaca, often of a lesser quality.

Most typical handicrafts come from the Chivay area. Colorful embroidery called Maquinaza style, representing daily activities or nature scenes.

There are some interesting shops geared towards tourists, including Patio del Ekeko, free Wi-Fi included. The old Jesuit convent, half a block from the Plaza de Armas, is free to enter and has very good shops for fine Alpaca garments and local products. The place itself is very nice. There is also a square near La Compañía featuring a number of more expensive handicrafts shops.

Eat
Arequipa features some of the most varied and flavorful cuisines in the country. Meals are robust with soups as one of their main dishes. Local food is usually served at lunch time but you can also find it in locals for tourists during dinner time. The better restaurants are near the Plaza San Francisco. Spicy food is very popular. Locals use rocoto (Capsicum pubescens) to provide the hot taste to their foods. This flavour is different than the spiciness in Indian or Mexican cuisine. One dish made with this ingredient is rocoto relleno con pastel de papa, a large stuffed pepper with potato pie. Ask beforehand if it has been made for tourists or if it is the original, quite hot, style; if the last one, be careful, it can be extremely hot!

Another Peruvian dish to try is alpaca steak. This meat, very low in fat, is juicy and very tender. It is presented in the same manner as traditional beef.

If you prefer fish and seafood – Arequipa is only three hours away from the sea, so many fish restaurants are available. If you have not tried ceviche in Peru yet, this is a great opportunity. There are also many other sea delicacies. The city is also the best place in Peru to eat river shrimps. They are presented in several ways, the most popular being Chupe de Camarones, a thick, savory soup featuring many shrimps in it. Beware, the plates here are big.

Budget
Local restaurants are called picanterías. They are still very popular among locals. Some are within the urban area and some others on the outskirts of the city. In the Arancota neighborhood, you can find many of these restaurants. Some of them are huge (600 tables or more) and they are usually full of locals. The main food attraction in this area is chicharron (fried pork with corn). Menu's are usually set, consisting of a hearty soup followed by a main dish. Drinks are often included. Prices are generally very cheap, ranging from S/5 to S/10.

As with all Peruvian food, local delicacies are heavy and sometimes very hot. Proceed with caution when eating here, especially since the height of the city makes digestion slow. Take a mate de coca, coca-leaf tea, after meals: it helps digestion and makes the altitude more bearable.

A selection of budget restaurants can be found on Calle Bolognesi, west of the Plaza de Armas.





In addition to the places listed below, there are dozens of other vegetarian restaurants scattered throughout town. Most offer a set lunch (menú) for around S/10.





Mid-range
The places overlooking the Plaza de Armas and behind the cathedral, while decent, are overpriced relative to the quality of the food. Their tours will show you their à-la-carte menus with mains for S/30-40, but you can ask for their menú del día which will give two courses and a drink (pisco sour, chicha morada, or Coke) for S/20 (Mar 2018).

For dinner, you can find the best restaurants in the city around Calle San Francisco.







Drink
Most bars and clubs for tourists are on Calle San Francisco, uphill from the main square. Many have happy hour specials until 22:00. Moreover, there is an area of the city called Calle Dolores, with discothèques, karaoke bars, and salsa ball rooms usually attended by locals but usually safe enough for travelers. A taxi is needed to get there.

The most popular Peruvian alcohol product is Pisco. Arequipa is the cradle for the Acholado type, a Pisco derived from a blend of several grapes. Locals drink it pure, in little sips. Chilcano is another way to drink it, Pisco with white soda. And of course, the Pisco Sour, which is a must for any visitor. A famous local alcoholic product is Anis Najar. Chicha, a slightly fermented corn beer and Pisco Sour are also considered traditional drinks.

On the non-alcoholic side, try the local soft drink, Kola Escocesa, not as sweet as Inca Kola. There is also a popular mineral water called Socosani. Energina is a yellow soft drink produced with this water. Some other soft drinks area available from the same factory.



Mid-range








Splurge




Stay safe
Don't flaunt your valuables or your money; there are occasional robberies reported. Do not walk alone after 23:00 in the downtown area! All the usual advice given for Peru applies here as well. When taking standard precautions, Arequipa is a safe city, and like most of the other major Peruvian cities, there is always a fairly large police presence.

In the downtown area, there is a fairly large presence of tourist police, wearing white shirts. Ask them for help.

The most common form of crime involving tourists is when a foreigner takes a no-name cab and a robbery occurs. To be safe, don't just hail any old cab that passes by. Always take reputable large company taxis (of which you can see plenty). Several of these taxi companies are very careful about the owners and drivers they take on. Consequently, they are very reliable. The best of these is the "Turismo Arequipa" company with a green and white logo (watch out for fakes). "Taxitel" is also good.

The safest way to call a taxi is to ask your hotel or hostel to do it for you. Like in all Peru, most all hostels and hotels have a relationship with a taxi company whose drivers are known and trusted.

Cope
As an exception to the rest of Peru, Arequipa uses electricity of 220 V at 50 Hz.

Nearby
The rural area is a whole attraction in itself. With gorgeous terraces, Spanish mills, palaces and an unobstructed view of the volcanoes from wherever you are.

A great way to visit most of the tourist spots from the rural and urban area is to take a bus tour. These special buses are available at the main square and you can book the tour at your hotel or directly with the bus driver. In two or four hours, depending on the tour you book, you will visit most of the famous viewpoints of the city. A great experience (from US$6-10).

Further away
There are many travel agencies, but only a few tour operators without commissions. The best operators are Andina (Jerusalen 402A), PeruSchweizExplorer (Jerusalen 314) for Colca Canyon Tours (around 150 Soles for a 3D/2N trip) and Quechua Explorer (San Francisco 218) for hill climbing.




 * The Colca Canyon: Theoretically possible as a day trip but not recommended; count a minimum of two days. Many people opt for at least one night in Chivay or Cabanaconde outside the Canyon, others stay in one of the lodges inside the canyon. Close-up views of flying condors and beautiful landscapes are two of the many highlights on these trips. You can visit the canyon with a tour or hire a guide. Trekking Colca Canyon without a guide or a tour is also possible and costs less.
 * The Cotahuasi Canyon: not as visited as Colca Canyon, but surely as interesting. Cotahuasi Canyon claims to be the deepest in the world, and the mixture of wilderness, pre Hispanic ruins and Andean villages make it a fantastic 4-7 days escape.
 * Chachani 6,057 m above sea level. Arrange transport with one of the adventure tour guides in town and be prepared for a 2-hour bumpy, swerving, scary drive around sharp curves up steep mountain roads. The base camp is at slightly over 5,000 m and the views are spectacular. If you are well-acclimated and have gear (ice axes and crampons) you should be able to summit from high camp in just over 8 hours. Otherwise just hike up the switchbacks to high camp (don't stay there, you can't sleep well at that altitude. Heed the mountaineer's motto: "Hike high, Lie low") and then on to the col, from which you can see the beautiful view of Arequipa and surrounding mountains. The trek beyond can be dangerous if you're not an experienced mountaineer. If you are, be prepared for a tough slog up dangerous scree and a trecherous traverse, and make sure you feel up to the return trip.
 * El Misti 5,822 m above sea level it is a 2-day climb. There are a lot of agencies in Arequipa offering the climb for around US$50. The first night camp is at approx 4,600 m so it gets very cold. You wake up at 01:00 to make the summit for sunrise. Not at all a technical climb, as you can pretty much walk to the top. It helps to be acclimatized, or you will feel the effects of the altitude.
 * Andagua at the head of the Valle des Volcanes is reachable by a direct (though long and bumpy) bus trip from Arequipa. Well off the tourist trail, it provides a fine opportunity to see beautiful altiplano scenery and experience an area of Peru scarcely touched by tourism.
 * Umacollo