After Machu Picchu and four days in the Amazon, we needed to stop moving. Arequipa gave us that. It is a beautiful colonial city in the southern Andes with a volcano as a backdrop, a genuinely good food and cafe scene, and enough things to do in Arequipa, Peru to fill a few days without ever feeling rushed. It was exactly the reset we needed.
Our Uber driver asked why we were in Arequipa, which tells you something — it is not the most obvious tourist stop. But we liked it precisely because of that. It felt like a real city going about its life, not a place arranged around visitors.
Getting There and Where to Stay
We flew from Puerto Maldonado with a layover in Cusco, then into Arequipa. Direct flights from Cusco to Arequipa are also available and cheap — worth checking both options. From the airport we used Uber.
We found an Airbnb that was the owner’s personal apartment — fully furnished, two bedrooms, a proper kitchen, a TV, the kind of place that feels like someone’s home rather than a rental. About a 30-minute walk from the city center, five minutes from a grocery store. Having a kitchen after weeks of eating every meal out was genuinely restorative. We cooked, we watched bad telenovelas, we ordered pizza one night and did not apologize for it. Sometimes that is what the trip needs.
The City
Arequipa is built around a series of plazas connected by streets lined with colonial architecture — white volcanic stone called sillar that gives the city a distinctive pale look in the sun. Walk it without a plan and you will find your way to the right places. The backstreet cafes spill onto small plazas, the rooftop restaurants have volcano views, and the whole city moves at a pace that rewards wandering.
The standout visual is the Misti volcano looming behind the city. We found a rooftop bar running a happy hour with two-for-one sangria and pisco sours and sat there with that volcano as the backdrop feeling very smug about our life choices. That combination — cheap drinks, stunning view, nowhere to be — is hard to beat.
The market is worth half a day. Fresh juices, street food, produce you have never seen before. We grazed our way through it the same way we had in Cusco — point at things, try them, keep moving.
Rock Climbing by the River
We found a poster for rock climbing at a cafe table and booked it on the spot. About $30 a person for two hours including all gear — shoes, harness, everything. A guide picked us up, drove us out to a spot by the river where the cliffs have several bolted routes, set up top rope, and let us go.
The routes ran maybe 5.8 to 5.10 for context — beginner to moderate, nothing that requires experience, but enough to actually climb rather than just scramble. I had not been on a rope in about three years and rediscovered immediately that climbing uses muscles that nothing else trains. My friend had never climbed before and crushed it. The guide was patient, encouraging, and spoke enough English to communicate what we needed.
Two hours outdoors by a river doing something physical after days of cities and tours and sitting in planes was exactly the reset we needed. If you are in Arequipa and like being active, do this. The guides are great and its a fun half day adventure (the flyer above has all the detail to reach out).
The Cooking Class
The other activity we added was a cooking class found through Airbnb Experiences — search for the Peruvian cooking class in Arequipa hosted by Marisa. It is held in her home, taught by her and her mother who cooked professionally for many years. The daughter speaks English if needed, but the class is conducted in Spanish, which for me was half the point.
We made two dishes. First, Causa Rellena de Pollo — a layered cold dish of seasoned mashed yellow potato formed into a dome, filled with a chicken salad mixture, topped with avocado slices. It sounds simple and is somehow both simple and impressive. Second, ceviche — fresh white fish (tilapia in our case) cured in lime juice with red onion, cilantro, and aji amarillo pepper. We also made a mango version without fish that was equally good. Then a fruit bowl dessert using local Andean fruits. One final treat was making an authentic Pisco Sour to enjoy with our meal!
Everything was approachable to cook regardless of skill level, but you leave knowing techniques and flavor combinations that are genuinely useful. The lime-to-fish ratio for ceviche, how to season the potato correctly, why the layering order matters. These are things you absorb when someone shows you in their kitchen that a recipe on paper cannot teach the same way.
The family was kind and warm and the whole experience felt personal in the way that the best Airbnb Experiences do — someone sharing something they actually know and love, not running a transaction. Highly recommend.
On Colca Canyon
Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world and sits just outside Arequipa. It is comparable to the Grand Canyon in scope and the two-day trek down and back out is supposed to be extraordinary. Multiple people we talked to had done it and described it in the way people describe experiences that genuinely affected them.
We did not do it. We had come off the Amazon and needed rest more than we needed another 3am wakeup and a two-day physical push. I do not fully regret the decision but I do think about the canyon. If you are going to Arequipa and have the fitness and the days to spare, plan the canyon in from the start — arrive, give yourself one day to settle, do the two-day trek, then take two days to recover. That is the right structure. Do not leave it as a maybe and then find yourself too tired to commit when the time comes, which is exactly what happened to us.
Massages
Peru has the cheapest massages I have ever found anywhere. We got massages in Cusco, in Arequipa, and twice in Lima. Average cost was $15 to $30 before tip — call it $35 to $40 all in. In the US a comparable massage runs $100 or more. We made a habit of scheduling one whenever we had a slow afternoon and I have zero regrets about this strategy. If you are traveling Peru and your body is tired from all the hiking and moving, get a massage. Get several an dI probably repeat this in multiple articles because we thoroughly enjoyed them!
Practical Notes
Getting there: Fly from Puerto Maldonado via Cusco, or direct from Cusco. Cheap and quick. Uber from the airport.
Where to stay: Look for an Airbnb apartment with a kitchen. You will want to cook at least a few meals after weeks of eating out.
Rock climbing: Search for outdoor rock climbing near Arequipa — the river canyon area has several operators running half-day trips. Around $30 per person with gear included.
Cooking class: Airbnb Experiences, search for Peruvian cooking class hosted by Marisa in Arequipa. Conducted in Spanish with English available. Held in her home.
Colca Canyon: If you want to do it, plan it in from the start. It requires two full days plus travel time and deserves recovery days on either side. Do not leave it as a maybe.
Massages: Budget $35 to $40 per session with tip. Find a reputable spot with good reviews and go regularly. Your body will thank you.