There’s good news for the lovers of alternative tourism, in Arequipa-Peru you will be able to enjoy religious tourism, full of peace, history, culture and astonishing architecture while you tour around the Arequipa Historic Center.
Arequipa is known for its blue skies, impressive volcanoes and the lushness of its valleys that make this city a place you can’t miss.
Something you must request from your travel specialist is that your itinerary includes this tour, which can take you from a couple of hours to a whole day depending on your interest. This tour will take you to convents that will make you travel to the past and give you a look of the beliefs and customs of the Peruvian society of colonial times.
During the day you can visit the Santa Teresa convent, built on 1700 and which received women of all social status that wished to devote their lives to prayer. In the interior of this cloister you will find magnificent pieces of religious art which portrait scenes of Christian life.
Gold and silver work pieces are on display on what used to be the infirmary, as well as sculptures from the XVIII century that decorate the halls and salons of this cloister. This place has a spectacular colonial architecture with vaulted ceilings and “sillar” walls.
Another place you must visit is the Santa Catalina convent, which is one of the most visited sites in Arequipa, we recommend for you to visit it at night since it’s a different experience, much more dramatic and spiritual. Keep in mind that the night visits can only be done on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
History tells that due to the earthquakes cells were built for the nuns, some of them decided to lock themselves up due to some unrequited love, a marriage they wouldn’t go through with or because they lacked maternal vocation.
The architectonic style of this cloister is of colonial type, but the fusion of Spanish and Indian elements stands out, this and other monuments have given this great city the name of White City.
