Arequipa is Peru's second largest city and the legend says that the town was established by Inca Maya Capac, when his subjects asked him for permission to stay in the region, because they were impressed by the landscape and the mild climate. Inca Mayta Capac said "Ari qhipay" which in Quechua means "Yes, stay".
I say the same as Inca Mayta Capac said; yes stay in Arequipa, at least for 2 nights. The city has a nice colonial center, it is surrounded by vulcanos (Misti, Chachani and Pikchu Pikchu) and has a nice laid-back atmosphere. We really enjoyed walking in the city center, because it is clean and pretty, free of car traffic and not at all touristy; the latter meant that we weren't bothered by street touts at all. And on the top of that the weather was great; sun shine and 25 degree Celsius.
In my opinion one of the most interesting places in Arequipa is Mercado San Camilo, the town's market. This vibrant and bustling market has plenty to offer; you can find everything here from fresh fish through artisan crafts to dried guinea pigs (a local delicacy).
Products have their own section and most of them are displayed in a highly presentable way.
We enjoyed a couple of freshly squeezed juices at Sección Jugo (the juice section). Mmmm....they were very delicious.
We have also visited Arequipa's number one tourist attraction: the Santa Catalina Monastery. This 500-year-old convent covers an entire city block and has only been opened to the public since the 1970s. The monastery is not merely a museum, as it still houses a small religious community today.
The nuns' cells were very basic; they had a bedroom, a kitchen, and a small open air area.
The nuns used to wash their clothes here:
The monastery is incredibly photogenic and you can easily spend an afternoon wandering between those vividly painted walls.
We visited Arequipa, because it is the main tourist hub for the Colca Canyon, one of the world's deepest canyons. And despite that we did not expect much of this white colonial town, we ended up really, really liking it. Arequipa is hands down the most attractive Peruvian town, we have visited on our trip.
