Arequipa City Tour and Santa Catalina

Begin your tour of Arequipa and Santa Catalina Monastery on a high at the majestic Mirador de Carmen Alto, located across the Chili River, where you can have a panoramic view of Arequipa. You will continue to the exclusive and traditional neighbourhood of Yanahuara, surrounded by streets built with cobblestones and where one of the flagship churches of Cuzco mestizo baroque was built in 1750.

From here, you will head downtown to visit the Plaza de Armas (undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in its genre), the Jesuit Church of the Compañia de Jesus (1590), see the Cathedral from outside (built in the 17th century and completely rebuilt after several earthquakes) and the Monastery of Santa Catalina (Saint Catherine) an enclosed religious town that remains in use to this day. The monastery belongs to the nuns of the Dominican Second Order. It is built mostly in the Mudéjar style, and is notable for its colourfully painted walls.

The monastery was founded by Maria de Guzman, a rich widow and the tradition suggested that the second son or daughter of a family would enter the service of the Church. This monastery accepted mostly women from upper class Spanish families that would pay a dowry for the admission. The monastery came to house a maximum of 450 people between nuns and servants.

Languages

English and Spanish (bilingual guide)