Our Home in Arequipa
Most visitors to Peru fly into Lima and head for Cusco, en route to Machu Picchu. As slow travelers, we had the opportunity to experience life in another part of Peru. There were several reasons we chose Arequipa as our home for a month:
Weather. The temperatures are moderate year-round, rarely warmer than 73℉. It gets more than 300 days of sunshine per year!
Walkability. I was surprised to learn that Arequipa (population 1.2 million) is the second largest city in Peru, after Lima. Still, Arequipa is very compact, with a pedestrian-friendly historic center.
Culture. Arequipa is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy. Interesting history and good food are two of my favorite things.
Location. It’s in the southern Andes at 7,600 feet, allowing us to acclimate before traveling to Machu Picchu (~8,000 feet). And it has wonderful mountain views.
Our home in Arequipa is a modern condo in the neighborhood of Yanahuara. We’re on a quiet street, and a gate manned by a security guard opens to a small courtyard. It’s just a 10-15 minute walk from here to the Plaza de Armas, the main square in the historic center.
We’re in a fourth floor walkup, but the stairs are wide, with several large landings, making it an easy climb. Our condo is spacious, with an open-plan living area. As is typical for Arequipa, there is no central heat or A/C, but we haven’t needed it. There is a solar water heater, with the option to turn on the electric one when needed. There is a washer but no electric dryer. (We do wish there was a place to hang our laundry to dry outdoors; it takes twice as long to hang dry inside.) And we have to purchase our own bottled water for drinking, cooking, and brushing our teeth. But I’m not complaining - our hosts are responsive and helpful, and this clean, comfortable condo is the best value that we’ve ever had on Airbnb.
There is a rooftop terrace just one flight up from our condo. From there, we have sweeping views of the city and the surrounding mountains. The highest peaks are volcanoes nearly 20,000 feet tall! The most famous volcano, Misti, is still active, and just 7.5 miles away from the city. Yikes! Fortunately, Misti has not erupted since pre-Colombian times. The other volcanoes are dormant or inactive.
The volcanoes with their snow-covered peaks are beautiful. But they are elusive and often hidden by clouds. Steve has enjoyed taking photos from the terrace at different times of day. We’ll never grow tired of this ever-changing landscape.
