Visit Arequipa, Peru - Arequipa, Peru tourism & vacations 2016 - Trip to Arequipa, Peru 2016 Travel Videos HD, World Travel Guide http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=World1Tube It’s hard playing second fiddle to Cuzco and Machu Picchu on Peru’s international tourist circuit, not that this little detail makes the average arequipeño jealous. Other Peruvians joke that you need a different passport to enter Peru’s second-largest city, a metropolis one-tenth of the size of the capital Lima but pugnaciously equal to it in terms of cuisine, historical significance and confident self-awareness. Guarded by not one but three dramatic volcanoes, the city enjoys a resplendent, if seismically precarious setting – earthquakes regularly wrack this region, the last big one causing significant damage in 2001. Fortunately, the city’s architecture, a formidable ensemble of baroque buildings grafted out of the local white volcanic sillar rock, has so far withstood most of what mother earth has thrown at it. In 2000 the city’s central core earned a well-deserved Unesco World Heritage listing and the sight of the gigantic cathedral, with the ethereal image of 5825m El Misti rising behind it, is worth a visit alone. Pretty cityscapes aside, Arequipa has played a fundamental role in Peru’s gastronomic renaissance; classic spicy dishes such as rocoto relleno (stuffed spicy red peppers), chupe de camarones (prawn chowder) and ocopa (boiled potato in a creamy, spicy sauce) best enjoyed in the city’s communal picantería restaurants, all hail from here. Arequipeños are a proud people fond of intellectual debate, especially about their fervent political beliefs, which historically found voice through regular demonstrations in the Plaza de Armas. Not surprisingly, the city has produced one of Latin America’s most influential novelists, Mario Vargas Llosa, the literary genius who ran unsuccessfully for the Peruvian presidency in 1990. See in Arequipa, Peru tourism ====================== The Plaza de Armas, the main square of Arequipa, surrounded by buildings made of sillar, a white volcanic stone. Visit San Camilo Market, the oldest one, located in the centre of the city. It's three blocks away from the main square. See the Juanita Mummy in the Museo Santuarios Andinos. From May to November the main exhibit is the Dama de Ampato, also known as Juanita. It is close to the main square. Convento de Santa Catalina is the most visited building from the Spanish era of the city. Described as a city within a city, this beautiful place with its colors, flowers and little streets will make you feel like you have traveled back in time. Quite close to the Plaza de Armas. One of the newest attractions is the Convento de Santa Teresa, a little off the usual tourist areas in downtown Arequipa. Not as interesting architecturally as the Convento de Santa Catalina, but some of the paintings and artifacts are stunning. Many of the almost 250 colonial buildings entitled as Human Heritage by UNESCO, are close to the main square. Some have been turned into banks, stores, restaurants and departments. This method of preserving the city by finding a practical use for the historical buildings, provides a great experience to the visitor who feels like visiting a living museum. Churches are among the most beautiful buildings preserved. They are all Catholic and you can visit them but be aware that they are used daily for worship so try not to be intrusive. La Compania, San Francisco, La Merced and the Cathedral are some of the most famous. Arequipa has beautiful bridges. Puente Bolognesi is the closest to the main square. Go there and visit the Tambos (ancient houses rebuilt by the city government and used as apartments). Great experience and good views of El Misti and Chachani Puente Fierro is an iron bridge designed by Eiffel and still in service. A technological jewel located in Vallecito (10 blocks from main square) and a must for people who love trains and bridges. From the bridge, at golden time (4.00-5.00PM), you can get some of the best pictures from the volcanoes and the city. Worth the 15 minutes walk! Nearby, in the old countryside, is the Molino de Sabandía (Sabandía Mill), a three centuries old water mill, set in the old Arequipa countryside. Also to be found in the old countryside is the Mansión del Fundador, a renovated centuries old Spanish Colonial mansion. Admission 10 S/, 5 S/ for students.

• published: 14 Feb 2016
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