• A self-guided walk through Arequipa’s splendid Colonial centre.

• 3 km (2 mile) route takes roughly 1.5 hours (not including site visits).

• Starting at Plaza de Armas & taking in various churches, mansions & museums.

Arequipa’s Colonial architecture remains one of its main attractions. Solid building techniques using thick, low walls of white, volcanic sillar (ashlar) rock enabled the hearts of centuries-old buildings to survive in a tectonic area; and proud reconstruction efforts have brought the structures back to life.

Start your walk in the palm-filled Plaza de Armas and get your bearings, before leaving the Plaza at its southeast corner along Calle Santo Domingo.

Here, the Church of La Compañía demands your attention. A few steps east of the church are the Cloisters of La Compañía, which elegantly retain their religious air, while discreetly housing high-end souvenir boutiques selling top-quality alpaca goods.

(**Colonial church devotees can take the side-trip along Santo Domingo for two more blocks for a peek at the frequently earthquake-damaged 16th-Century Church of Santo Domingo which has been rebuilt and restored several times. Return the way you came**.)

Stroll and shop your way through the quiet cloisters of La Compañía to emerge on bustling Calle Palacio Viejo and turn right.

At the first intersection, turn left on Calle Alvarez Thomas for one block, then right onto Calle Consuelo.

Glance at the solid, 17th-Century façade of Casa Arango on Consuelo between Alvarez Thomas and Calle La Merced.

At La Merced, turn left, and walk one block to the Church of La Merced. Begun in 1551, this is Arequipa’s second oldest church, has been rebuilt several times, and houses a remarkable Colonial library.

Retrace your steps along La Merced to Consuelo, and visit Casa Goyeneche, a 16th-Century mansion occupied by the Banco Central de Reserva since 1970.

The Goyeneche family owned the building from 1782 until 1945. Their most famous son, Bishop José Sebastián Goyeneche (1784-1872), was instrumental in rebuilding Arequipa’s Cathedral. The family coat of arms is visible on the second story of the façade.

Although this is a working bank, visitors are welcomed into the spacious courtyards surrounded by several rooms housing Colonial and Republican art, and period furniture.

Continuing north along La Merced takes you past Museo Santuarios Andinos, home to Juanita the Ice Maiden … and back into the Plaza de Armas, which you cross to visit the Cathedral.

From the northeast corner of the plaza head north a few doors (right side) to Casa Tristán del Pozo (also called Casa Ricketts), now owned by Banco Continental.

It is amusing to enter the classically Colonial courtyards and see austere early-18th-Century rooms being used by 21st-Century bankers.

Leaving Casa Tristan del Pozo, cross the street into the pedestrian Pasaje Catedral, an alley known for good-quality crafts and alpaca goods shops.

Emerge on Calle Santa Catalina (more shops) and cross diagonally left to La Casona Chávez de la Rosa (two entrances: Santa Catalina 101, San Agustín 104), a Colonial house which now hosts changing art shows under the auspices of Universidad de San Agustín.

A block west along Calle San Agustín, look at the 18th-Century façade of the oft-restored Church of San Agustín on your left, and then turn right onto Calle Bolívar.

Head north for a block to Calle Moral, and turn right to Casa del Moral, Arequipa’s most interesting Colonial mansion.

Continue east on Moral to Calle Santa Catalina, turn left, and walk a block to the city’s most famous attraction, the Monasterio de Santa Catalina.

Continue north on Santa Catalina for a block to Calle Zela, turn right and walk a block to the Church & Museum of San Francisco.

Finally, continue east on Zela for three blocks to the fascinating Church & Museum of Santa Teresa.

Please note that buildings can change purpose or access, museums can close down … and even street names can be changed! So, if any of the above Arequipa information needs updating, please let PeruNorth know.