The Old or Royal Bridge is ideal for starting your journey in the Historic Centre. The reason? It was the first bridge built in Arequipa to connect the banks of the Chili River, turning it into the gateway to and from the colonial city.

Inaugurated in 1608, the bridge made of sillar and lime maintains its centennial appearance and urban importance. Today, it bears the name of Colonel Francisco Bolognesi, a hero of the War of the Pacific and the patron of the Peruvian Army.

After crossing the bridge, our guide will show you the colonial tambos, considered the first inns of Arequipa. These simple accommodations emerged in the late 17th century to house the merchants and muleteers arriving in the “White City.”

The term “tambo” has Andean origins. On the Qhapaq Ñan, the great road traced in pre-Hispanic times, there were resting places and storage facilities for travelers along that ancestral route.

There are places where art and religious architecture are so imposing that one doesn’t need to be devout to feel amazed and moved. That’s what you’ll experience when visiting and admiring the temple of the Society of Jesus.

A human work of divine inspiration that began construction in 1590, on one of the corners of the Plaza de Armas. In a mestizo or Andean Baroque style, the Society of Jesus is one of the colonial gems of the Historic Centre of Arequipa.

Blessed and at peace, our guide will lead your steps towards San Francisco Square, taking advantage of the journey to show the facades of the old mansions and explain the details that distinguish Arequipa’s constructions.

Thus, without hurry or rush, you will discover that sillar —a volcanic rock from quarries located on the outskirts of the city— is the characteristic material of Arequipa’s Baroque and Neoclassical architecture.

Welcome to an urban space where faith, traditional art, and bohemia converge. All of this is lived and enjoyed in San Francisco, a square flanked by religious constructions, a colorful artisan center, and a string of attractive restaurants and pubs.

A meeting point and gathering place, in San Francisco, you will be delighted by the church and colonial convent of the same name, the spaces of Fundo El Fierro —which today are a bastion of Arequipa’s craftsmanship— and the tasty and lively entertainment venues that tempt insomnia.

Get ready to explore, admire, and purchase the finest products of Arequipa and Peru’s craftsmanship at this colonial estate with neoclassical style and military lines, which was the first prison of the “City of Misti.”

But that’s not all. El Fierro was also a girls’ school. Thus, amid sentences to fulfill and lessons to learn, the estate stood until today, where master craftsmen teach and offer their best works.

Its origin and history are associated with Doña María de Guzmán, widow of Hernández, benefactor, the first inhabitant, and at the same time, prioress of the convent. She formally took the habit on October 2, 1580.

Throughout the centuries, hundreds of women followed in her footsteps, maintaining the importance of Santa Catalina, a city of faith with mestizo architecture that treasures an impressive collection of viceregal paintings.

Your private tour will end in the cloisters, cells, and other areas of Santa Catalina, one of the exclusive attractions of the “City of Misti,” where the blessed Arequipa nun Sor Ana de los Ángeles Monteagudo lived and died.

The convent is very close to the Plaza de Armas, so you can continue exploring and enjoying the Historic Centre, or if you prefer, return to your hotel to rest and prepare for your next outing with us.