Peru | Arequipa, the white city of volcanoes, a hot travel guide
| The volcanic white city of Arequipa - a guide to its popularity.
🎈Itinerary:
Day 1 Colca Canyon
Take a day trip with a local travel agency (about 70sol, canyon entrance fee and lunch are not included). Depart from your downtown Arequipa hotel at 3am and return to your hotel at 6pm. The itinerary includes: breakfast in Chivay town → Maca town (see the white church and take photos with cute alpacas) → Wayraq punkun viewpoint → Cruz del Condor (ticket price 70sol, enjoy the Colca Canyon and condors) → buffet lunch (38sol) → choose to go to hot springs at your own expense or rest on the spot → Andes Volcano Viewpoint → Wild Alpaca Reserve. The town is very lively at night, so be sure to visit the Plaza de Armas and the street shops.
Day 2
First visit Santa Catalina Monastery (worth spending 2-3 hours to appreciate it slowly), then go to Plaza de Armas, have lunch, and then go to Yanahuara Viewpoint (overlooking Misti Volcano) for a romantic afternoon tea, watch the sunset and snow-capped mountains, and finally enjoy a delicious dinner.
🎈Personal feelings:
🌟Santa Karina Monastery: Highly recommended! This colorful city within a city is so photogenic! Tickets are 50sol and can be purchased on site. After entering, it is strongly recommended to spend 10sol to hire a tour guide to learn more about the history of the monastery and the purpose of each building.
🌟Colca Canyon: Maybe it was the weather, or maybe it was just the norm, the air was dusty and the scenery of the entire trip was a bit desolate and failed to bring a sense of surprise. Personally, I think a 1-day trip is enough and there is no need to choose a 2-day tour.
🌟 Plaza de Armas: The scenery of the square is different during the day and at night, and there are many cozy street shops around the square. If you have time, you must go shopping.
🌟Yanahuara Observation Deck: Although you can see the volcano from a distance, the scenery is really average.
🌟Museo Santuarios Andinos: Be sure to check the opening hours in advance, as it is only open until 2pm on Sundays. Because the monastery was so fascinating, I visited it twice that day and unfortunately missed the museum.
🎈Food recommendations:
The space is limited, please see the next article for details🍲
🎈Other suggestions
💡Temperature: In early July, the temperature difference between morning and night in Arequipa is huge. It is warm and pleasant during the day, so wear a light coat and sunscreen; the temperature drops sharply at night, so you need to wear a down jacket. During the Colca Canyon trip, when we stopped in the town of Chivay for breakfast at 6 a.m., the temperature dropped to several degrees below zero, so be sure to keep warm.
💡Altitude sickness: Arequipa’s altitude is not high, and the overall feeling is comfortable. However, during the trip to Colca Canyon, you will pass through a mountainous area with an altitude of nearly 5,000 meters. In addition, the long car ride may cause altitude sickness, so remember to prepare appropriate medicine.