VISIT AREQUIPA - What to see, where to eat, where to sleep? DAY 4

AREQUIPA will remain my favorite city of my Peru tour. If you want to know how to visit Arequipa, what to see, where to eat, where to sleep ...

How are we going to visit AREQUIPA?

After our installation at the hotel, we decide to explore the center:

Our bus drops us off at 8 a.m. (instead of 6:45 a.m. as planned) at the center ofAREQUIPA.

We go directly to our hotel because we have an appointment with Thomas. Thomas is a French who has lived for several years in PERU in the region ofAREQUIPA. We contacted him for advice and organization of excursions in his region. Do not hesitate to contact me by email if you wish to obtain his contact details.

VISIT AREQUIPA - The Place d'Armes and its cathedral

The place of arms is the heart that buildsAREQUIPA. First of all it is MAGNIFICENT, MAJESTIC, HAPPY… Everything happens on this square and everything starts or starts from there. This place is alive, lively while being relaxing and friendly.

La Cathedral neo-classical style proudly stands on this beautiful square. It is the attraction but for me, it is also the place of the armas which highlights it. One without the other is not possible… They are definitely linked. You can also visit the Church and the cloister of the Company of Jesus (located in a corner of the Place d'Armes) but blah…

VISIT AREQUIPA - The San Camilo market

Interesting for the variety of products, it is immense. On the other hand, the reception is not really great, perhaps because of the mass of tourists who walk there taking pictures at all costs without respecting the traders or the locals ...

I went there to buy a pouch of coca leaves to start chewing every now and then. Indeed, we are at 2 m but in 400 days we will have doubled in altitude! So like the Incas, to better support the altitude, we will chew coca leaves all morning. Be careful not to take it late in the afternoon because it is exciting and will prevent you from sleeping at night!

VISIT AREQUIPA - Restaurant HATUMPA

On Thomas' advice, we go to the HATUMPA restaurant which only serves potato dishes. Favorite: we tasted colorful plates with an assortment of potatoes of all colors (black, purple, yellow, red) combined with meat of your choice or without meat. I loved !!! The price of the meal was around 5 Euros. So do not hesitate and go discover this very nice little restaurant. It turns out that Calle Ugarte, 208 all near our hotel.

VISIT AREQUIPA - Monastery of Santa Catalina

The biggest convent in the world! My biggest crush at AREQUIPA.

You have to go there around 17:30 p.m. to visit it during the day and stay there at night to enjoy a different atmosphere and breathtaking scenery. White alleys decorated with red flowers like in Andalusia or blue with pottery like a Provence or fountains flowing in the middle of picturesque orange squares ... At each street corner, the scenery changes and we take full of the gneux gneux!

Cheap hotel in AREQUIPA

This hotel was recommended and booked to me by Thomas: "Elisa's patio" Calle Peral, 206 Cercado, Arequipa - T +51 54 241419

Everything was perfect : very well located in the center ofAREQUIPA and in a quiet side street. The rooms are spacious, well equipped, clean and with WIFI. Breakfast is served on the terrace !!! Price per night with breakfast: 33 Euros.

https://www.booking.com/hotel/pe/el-patio-de-elisa.fr.html

AREQUIPA'S VISIT CONTINUES ON THE DAY 5 LINK:

DAY 5 AREQUIPA CITY TOUR