Lima / Cusco / Machu Picchu / Inca Trail / Arequipa / Puno / Iquitos / Manu / Madre de Dios / Huaraz / Northern Highlands / Northern Coast

In June 2001, Arequipa suffered an earthquake of 7.9 on the Richter scale. This caused serious damage to the centre of the town, with several of the historical buildings affected, including the cathedral, which lost one of its towers. However, the effect on visitors to the city is minimal, and all attractions are open.

Arequipa is a wonderful city to stay for a few days, exploring its beautiful centre and relaxing in the many cafes and bars, enjoying the sunshine. It makes an excellent base for visiting nearby attractions, and should be included on any tour of the south of Peru.

2001 Earthquake

On June 23 2001, a very strong earthquake rocked the south of Peru, killing over 100 people and causing much material damage. The seaside resort of La Punta near Camaná was completely wiped out by a tidal wave, and 80% of houses in Moquegua suffered damage. In Arequipa, the cathedral lost a tower and many buildings were damaged. This was the strongest earthquake in the south for many, many years. However, exactly how strong depends on the source referred to. International news sources all reported that the earthquake measured around 7.9 on the Richter scale. However, in Peru it was reported to be only 6.9 on the same scale. Why the difference? Apparently, the Peruvian government passed a law some years back that anyone living through an earthquake greater than 7.0 on the Richter scale would have certain debts cancelled. Obviously, an earthquake measuring only 6.9 would not result in such a measure being passed, although this may just be a coincidence, of course.

City of Arequipa Attractions

Arequipa contains many wonderful attractions, including its wonderful historical centre, Santa Catalina Convent and the amazing Museo Santuario de las Alturas, which contains a frozen Inca mummy child sacrifice.

Each of these attractions is covered in detail under the City of Arequipa heading.

Historic centre

In December 2000, Unesco declared the historic centre of Arequipa a World Heritage Site. With its splendid colonial buildings, a walk around the centre makes the perfect introduction to this city. The best place to start is the Plaza de Armas (***), a very elegant square with palm trees and a fountain. This is surrounded on three sides by double-arched arcades, in which there are many restaurants and bars from which to sit and enjoy the view. The cathedral (**), on the fourth side, completes the Plaza. The impressive facade is the most interesting aspect of the cathedral, and a bullet hole can be seen in the clock face where a bullet struck in the massacre of students in 1950. The cathedral was founded in 1621, although it was largely rebuilt in the 19th century due to destruction from earthquakes. The cathedral suffered further damage in the earthquake of June 2001. The interior, which can be entered from the Plaza de Armas, is rather spartan, although the wooden pulpit, carved in France, is of interest. The organ, of Belgian origin, is the largest in South America, along with one in Colombia. Behind the cathedral is the pretty Pasaje de la Catedral, where there are many craft shops and cafes.

There are a number of other churches close to the Plaza de Armas. Probably the finest is the church of La Compañía (***) (corner of Morán and Alvarez Tomás), built originally in 1573, but totally destroyed by an earthquake. The current building dates from 1650. The main facade, made from intricately carved sillar, is impressive, and the Hapsburg eagle can be seen in the centre. Classical European designs are mixed with indigenous masks and faces. The side facade is also impressive, and includes a relief of Santiago Matamoros, to whom the church is dedicated. The interior of the church is also worth seeing, especially the Capilla Real, for which there is a small entrance charge. The cloisters, entered from Calle Morán, are very beautiful and peaceful, and there are a number of shops selling good quality crafts here.

Other churches worth visiting include San Agustín (**) (corner of San Agustín and Sucre), Santo Domingo (**), (corner of Santo Domingo and Piérola), and La Merced (**) all of which have fine carved sillar facades. San Francisco (**) (Zela 103), in addition to being an interesting building, has a fine library of 20,000 books. All of these churches have been substantially rebuilt after earthquakes over the centuries.Arequipa has some fine colonial houses. These used to be the residences of wealthy Spaniards, but now are generally used as offices for banks. The Casa Gibbs-Ricketts (also known as the Casa Tristán de Pozo and the Casa Ugarteche) (**) (San Francisco 108 – now the Banco Continental) has a wonderful carved entrance and typical courtyards. The Casa del Moral (**), (Moral 318), has a baroque entrance, with carved serpents emerging from the jaws of pumas. The interior of the building has vaulted ceilings typical of Arequipa. The Casa Goyeneche (**) (La Merced 201 – now the Banco Central de Reserva), in addition to being a beautiful building also has a museum with paintings from the Cusqueña school. The Casa de la Moneda (or Casa de los Quiroz) (**) (Ugarte and Villaba) was probably used as a mint. Other colonial houses worth visiting are the Casa del Pastor (**) (Bolívar 206), the Casa Bustamante (**) (La Merced) and the Casa Mendiburu (**) (Mendiburu). The Casa Chávez de la Rosa (**) (San Agustín 104), and Casa Irriberry (or Casa de Arróspide) (**) (San Agustín) are now part of the University of San Agustín, where often there are art exhibitions by university students. The Fundo El Fierro (*) (Plaza San Francisco) was originally a girls' school and then a prison. It is now used as a crafts fair. Off the Plaza San Francisco is the Museo Histórico Regional, with information on the history of Arequipa.

The Archaeological Museum of the Universidad Nacional de San Agustín (**) (open daily 8am to 3.30pm, entrance $0.60) has recently relocated to Alvarez Thomas 200. This is a museum with a fine display of archaeological objects and ceramics, as well as many colonial items.

Convent of Santa Catalina

Calle Santa Catalina 3 block

Open 9am to 5pm, with the last entrance at 4pm. Entrance charge $4.

This is the main tourist attraction in Arequipa, and undoubtedly one of the most interesting colonial buildings in Peru. The convent was shrouded in secrecy until the majority of it was opened to the public in 1970. However, a part of the complex is still used by nuns and cannot be visited. There are, in fact, 28 nuns still in Santa Catalina, the oldest being a 98 year-old Spaniard, and there are also three novices. The convent is extensive, covering a whole city block, with an area of 20,426 square metres, and is often described as a city within a city. This is not an unfair description, with the convent having streets and squares named after Spanish cities, although this is a recent creation, as are the bright colours of the walls. Initially, the complex was unpainted, leaving it the colour of sillar. The convent has been shaken by the numerous earthquakes to hit Arequipa, and several areas have suffered damage. However, the buildings have been reconstructed, and are a delight to wander round.

The convent was founded in 1579 by María de Guzmán, a very rich Creole widow, who dedicated it to Santa Catalina of Siena. The history of the convent is fascinating, and many of the nuns living in Santa Catalina failed to live up to the vows of poverty that are usual. In fact, coming from wealthy Spanish families, many of the nuns came with up to four servants to accompany them. The dowry that had to be given by the most important nuns, who wore black veils, was 2,400 silver coins, equivalent to $50,000 today. The nuns also had to bring 25 listed items, including a statue, a painting, a lamp and clothes. In the case of the wealthiest nuns, these included the finest English china and wonderful silk curtains and rugs. All these nuns entered because of the family tradition that the second son or daughter had to enter religious service. Although it was possible for poorer nuns to enter the convent without paying a dowry, it can be seen from the cells that most of the nuns were very wealthy. The largest cells have a large main room for the nun’s residence, a room for the servants, a kitchen, a terrace and even a guestroom, which was used by other nuns in Santa Catalina after a party. When a nun died, the cells were sold to other nuns entering the convent.

In addition to the stories of outrageous wealth, there are tales of nuns becoming pregnant, and amazingly of the skeleton of a baby being discovered encased in a wall. This, in fact, did not happen in Santa Catalina, although there are rumours of it having taken place in the nearby Santa Rosa convent.

Once inside the convent, a nun could never leave, and was able to receive visitors for only about 15 minutes once a week. Novices entered the convent at 12, and lived in one small cloister until the age of 16. They were not allowed to talk among each other, and had to spend their entire days in their cells, praying, apart from one hour in the morning when they went to mass. At the age of 16 the novices could decide whether to renounce religious service and return to the outside world or whether to stay in the convent. It is testament to the power of the family that, apart from one exception, no novice ever left the convent. This exception was Francisca Pizarro, the niece of the conquistador Francisco Pizarro.

In 1871, the mother superior, María Josefa Cadena y Pastor, eliminated the different categories of nun, and also abolished the individual cells. At this time all the nuns started to sleep in one large dormitory, with beds separated only by curtains.

The convent also houses a gallery with many paintings of the Cusqueña school.

It takes an hour or two to wander round to convent, and the many streets and squares present wonderful photo opportunities, which are best in the morning or late afternoon given the light. Very worthwhile is taking a tour by one of the excellent guides at the entrance. Given the extensive history and stories of the convent, much will be missed without one. Guides are available in Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Japanese. There is no official charge for this service, although a tip is obviously expected and deserved.

Museo Santuarios Andinos

Calle Santa Catalina 210 (opposite Santa Catalina Convent)

Open Mon – Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 9am – 3pm. Entrance charge $4.

In September 1995, the archaeologist and anthropologist Dr. Johan Reinhard, along with Dr. Antonio Chávez of the Catholic University of Arequipa, discovered the tomb of a child atop of the 6,380m-high Volcano Ampato in the Colca Canyon. This girl, aged around 13 at the time of her death, was sacrificed and buried by the Incas as an appeasement offering to the Apus, the mountain gods. Although human sacrifice was rare in the Inca Empire, extreme cases, such as a severe drought, were interpreted as a sign of anger of the gods, and thus a more important sacrifice than the usual chicha or animals was required.

The child was from a noble family, as indicated by the garments she was wearing. She would have had to be a virgin to take part in such an important ceremony, and although she was undoubtedly frightened (other mummies discovered show signs of fear on their faces and in their positions) she would also have understood the importance of her role. She was not just being sacrificed, but also rather starting a journey towards the Apu gods and towards divinity herself. Her diet prior to the sacrifice was purely vegetarian to purify her, and she fasted and was given strong ritual chicha and coca leaves just before the sacrifice. She was actually killed by a blow to her head, although it is likely that she was unconscious at this time as a result of the drugs she had been given.

Although dozens of child sacrifices have been found throughout the Andes, almost always on the peak, or close to, of important mountains, the body found at the top of Ampato was particularly important. This child, given the name Juanita after her discoverer (Johan means Juan in Spanish), is one of the best-preserved bodies in existence, and so has provided much information on the ritual of Inca sacrifice. The tomb and body had been encased in ice for approximately 500 years until the eruption of the nearby Sabancay Volcano dislodged her, facilitating her discovery. Juanita is usually referred to as the Ice mummy, although in actual fact she was never mummified, with her preservation being a completely natural process brought about by the extreme temperatures at the top of such a high mountain. Many studies have been carried out on Juanita, both in Arequipa and at leading institutions in the US, and research is ongoing.

Further excavations at the top of Ampato uncovered three other child mummies of both sexes, and several other mummies have been discovered on other important Apus in the region, including on Misti and Picchu Picchu near Arequipa and on Sara Sara in the department of Ayacucho. These mummies are also being studied at the Catholic University in Arequipa, and are also sometimes displayed in the museum.

In addition to the bodies discovered in the tombs, many important artefacts were found. These include ceramics and gold, silver and copper statues of llamas and representations of the sacrifices themselves. The clothing of the children has also been remarkably well preserved, although in the case of some of the mummies, lightning has damaged the bodies and artefacts.

The museum, although small, is very well laid out, and a trip takes around 50 minutes. An introductory video is shown and then a guide explains the importance of all the pieces discovered in the tombs. The guides are generally excellent, and as the entrance charge to the museum does not include the guide, a tip is very much deserved. The final room in the museum contains two chambers with the frozen remains of Juanita and one other mummy. There used to be three mummies on display, but the earthquake in June 2001 destroyed the chamber containing one. Juanita is on display for 8 months of the year. For the other four months of the year she is taken to the University laboratory where she is kept in total darkness. During these months Sarita, another child sacrifice discovered on Sara Sara in Ayacucho, is on display.

Away from the centre

Although the majority of attractions in Arequipa and in the centre, there are number of sights worth seeing a bit further out. La Recoleta (***) (Recoleta 117, Yanahuara, open Mon-Sat 9am-12pm, 3pm-5pm, entrance $1.50), is a Franciscan monastery built in 1647 to train monks for missionary expeditions. The convent has four pretty cloisters, as well as a library, small archaeological collection, a museum of stuffed jungle animals and birds and some interesting photos of Arequipa over the last 150 years. On the same side of the river is the district of Yanahuara (**), with its fine church and plaza, which offers a wonderful view of Misti and Chachani. There are many picanterías in this area, serving typical Arequipeño food. Further up the hill is the district of Cayma (**), with a beautiful church and plaza.

Heading south from the centre is the Puente de Fierro (*), a 488m iron bridge built by Eiffel in 1882 for the railway line. This offers fine views of Arequipa and the surrounding volcanoes. Carrying on south you come to the district of Tingo (*), with a small boating lake and swimming pools. Near Tingo is the Mirador de Sachaca (**), which offers good views of Arequipa and the surrounding countryside, and the Palacio Goyeneche (**). Three kilometres from Tingo is La Mansión del Fundador (**), built in 1540 by the founder of Arequipa, Don Garcí Manuel de Carbajal. This house has been restored with original paintings and furniture.

Heading east from the centre, about 8 kilometres from the Plaza de Armas, is the Molino de Sabandía (**), a water mill dating from 1785. The countryside is very pleasant, and there is the chance to swim, making this a very nice day-trip.

Excursions from Arequipa

A highly venerated saint in Peru is the Virgen de Chapi, whose statue is in the town of Chapi near Arequipa. On May 1 every year, pilgrims from Arequipa and all over Peru go to Chapi to pray to the virgin, who is credited with miraculous powers. One year in the late 1980s in Arequipa, the rains, which normally begin in December or January, had not arrived. As the weeks passed, and there was still no sign of rain, people began to get very worried about the drought. Finally, as a last resort, a helicopter was sent to Chapi to bring the statue of the virgin to Arequipa. She arrived at the football stadium, and there the faithful gathered to pray for rain. Within days it began to rain, and the people praised the power of the virgin, who was returned to Chapi. The rains carried on for the following weeks and months. And they did not stop. The rains became so bad that mould began to sprout everywhere, and there was no sign of the rain abating. Finally, a helicopter was again sent to Chapi to bring the virgin back to Arequipa, this time to pray for an end to the rain! Needless to say, the rains did finally end

Yura

Around 30 kilometres from Arequipa is the village of Yura. In a valley next to Chachani, the village has thermal baths, which are a bit grotty, and a stream making for a nice day out. It is possible to do some walking in the hills around Yura, although these are very dry and not particularly interesting.

Chapi

Chapi is a major centre for pilgrimage for the devotees of the Virgen de Chapi, a miraculous image. The sanctuary is best visited on May 1, when the day of the Virgen is celebrated, and thousands of pilgrims make their way to Chapi. It is common to walk from Arequipa, taking about 7 hours over arid hills, although there are also plenty of buses from the terminal, taking around 2 hours.

Information used with the kind permission of www.llamatravel.com - holidays to Peru from £799. © Llama Travel Ltd (UK).
Web Site © Peru Tourist Information (Peru)