Where to stay in Arequipa, Peru | a guide to the best areas

Heading to Arequipa on your travels in Peru? Standing under the watchful eye of the towering Misti Volcano, the “White City” is a unique metropolis, and a convenient base for trips to the spectacularword canyons of Colca and Cotahuasi. To help you decide where to stay in Arequipa, we’ve put together this guide to the best areas plus our personal recommendations on hotels, casas, guest houses and hostels.

This article contains affiliate links to accommodation we recommend from personal experience and research. If you make a booking, we may make commission at no extra cost to you.

How many days are needed in Arequipa?

The best amount of time to spend in Arequipa depends on whether you are planning any day trips or longer excursions outside the city, for example to the Colca Canyon.

We visited Arequipa for five nights while backpacking for a month in Peru, so we had three full days in the city as well as an overnight trekking adventure into the Colca Canyon.

If you are just staying in the city and not venturing out on day trips, it’s possible to see the highlights of Arequipa in 1–2 days. However, we would recommend taking a bit longer to give you a fuller flavour of the city with some breathing room between activities.

Is it safe to walk around in Arequipa?

In general, Arequipa is a very safe city. We felt safer here than other cities we visited on our travels in Peru and in neighbouring countries. That makes sense, as Arequipa has a moderate crime rate compared to other Peruvian cities.

Even so, tourists do occasionally encounter mishaps and scams in Arequipa. As with any city in the region, you should always be vigilant with your belongings, and don’t go wandering into neighbourhoods you don’t know. It’s also best to avoid walking around alone at night, especially away from busy areas like Plaza de Armas.

The neighbourhoods we cover in this guide are the safest areas to stay in Arequipa overall.

What is the best area to stay in Arequipa?

With more than a million inhabitants, Arequipa is Peru’s second-largest city after the capital, Lima. But although its metropolitan area is huge, the city centre is actually quite compact, and most of the main attractions are within a walkable area.

In this guide, we break down five of the best areas to stay in Arequipa:

• Plaza de Armas: the historic centre and its surrounding streets, where you will find the vast “city within a city” of the Santa Catalina Monastery and other historic architecture.
• Vallecito: a quieter historic neighbourhood to the south of Plaza de Armas, filled with the city’s iconic white sillar architecture and a thriving cultural scene.
• San Lázaro: an old, romantic neighbourhood that pre-dates the founding of the city, with narrow cobbled alleyways between Plaza de Armas and Selva Alegre.
• Selva Alegre: a peaceful area to the north of the city centre, with large parks, gardens, upmarket hotels and family-friendly activities.
• Yanahuara: a picturesque and laidback neighbourhood across the river to the west of Plaza de Armas, with some of the city’s best volcano viewpoints.

Now, we’ll take a deep dive into these five neighbourhoods and share our recommended accommodation options in each.

Plaza de Armas and the historic centre

As with many of Peru’s old cities, Arequipa is built around a historic central square. The Plaza de Armas is the city’s main hub of activity and an ideal area to stay both for exploring history and indulging in the food and drink scene.

The first day we arrived in Arequipa ourselves, we spent our first of many mornings exploring Plaza de Armas, which is unique in its style. We were struck by the majestic white colonnades that line three sides of the square. The Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa faces onto the fourth side of the square, while the centre is a broad green space with towering trees and benches.

Many of Arequipa’s main attractions are within close proximity of Plaza de Armas. Just a couple of blocks north you can visit the 20,000-square-metre Santa Catalina Monastery. A visit to this “city within a city”, which was home to a community of nuns for centuries, is one of the top things to do in Arequipa.

Just south of the square, at Museo Santuarios Andinos, you can see the frozen mummy of Juanita, a 12-year-old girl who was sacrificed to the Inca gods in the 15th century.

Plaza de Armas is also ideal for a night out, whether you are looking for a relaxed meal to a late clubbing session. Many of the city’s best restaurants, bars and night clubs are located in the streets surrounding the square.

Best places to stay around Arequipa’s Plaza de Armas

There is a range of accommodation around Plaza de Armas. It’s a good spot for budget accommodation, with many of the best hostels in Arequipa located close to the square, but you will also find some of the city’s most beautiful boutique hotels here too.

These are our recommended options for different travel styles and budgets around Plaza de Armas:

• Plaza Central: stylish hotel right next to the square, with an excellent buffet breakfast. The suites with plaza views aren’t as expensive as you might expect!
• Hotel Los Tambos Boutique: cosy boutique hotel within a block of the square, with lovely views of the city and Misti Volcano from its rooftop terrace.
• Las Torres de Ugarte: in a peaceful spot right next to Santa Catalina Monastery, set in a stunning old colonial building.
• Los Andes Bed & Breakfast: charming and friendly guest house with very good budget rooms as well as dorm options.
• Mango Hostel B&B: family-run hostel one block away from the main square, with a rooftop terrace bar, café, hammocks and pool table.

Vallecito: historic, artsy neighbourhood close to the centre

Just south of Plaza de Armas, the historic centre blends into the peaceful neighbourhood of Vallecito. We stayed here on our first trip to Arequipa and found it perfect for newcomers to the city. Vallecito is pretty and peaceful in equal measure, and while being one of the safest areas in Arequipa, it’s also within a short walk of the main square.

Around Vallecito you will encounter a lot of the white sillar architecture that Arequipa is famous for, mixed in with colourful colonial buildings. The neighbourhood’s streets are broad and lined with trees, almost with a Parisienne boulevard feel, with the Chili River flowing peacefully nearby.

In Vallecito you can visit the birthplace of one of Peru’s greatest cultural figures, Mario Vargas Llosa, a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. The home of the legendary writer and activist has been transformed into a museum, Casa Museo Mario Vargas Llosa, where you can see holograms and interactive exhibitions of his activism work, as well as his original manuscripts.

Best places to stay in the Vallecito neighbourhood

Many of the accommodation options in Vallecito are set within beautiful traditional old buildings, so it’s a great choice if you want to immerse yourself in the city’s historic identity.

These are our top five picks for where to stay in Arequipa in the Vallecito neighbourhood:

• Casa Arequipa: charming hotel in a striking pink old colonial house, with gorgeous wooden-furnished rooms, and volcano views from a cocktail bar.
• Mint Hotel: family-run boutique hotel with a more modern feel, in a lovely clean and quiet spot on the south side of Vallecito.
• Hotel La Casa de Tin Tin: colonial-style boutique hotel close to the riverside, with a homely feel and a fantastic daily breakfast.
• El Balcon Hostal Turistico: tranquil guest house in an old building with beautiful inner gardens, with suites featuring kitchenettes for self-catering.
• Arequipay Hostel: excellent all-round hostel (one of the very best in the city) with a social vibe, pod-style dorms and modern facilities.

San Lázaro: Arequipa’s oldest neighbourhood

San Lázaro is the oldest part of Arequipa and one of its most compact neighbourhoods. Situated a few blocks north of Plaza de Armas, it is a charming maze of cobbled alleyways and white sillar buildings dating back to the 16th century.

San Lázaro actually predates the founding of Arequipa itself. It was once the home of a group of Spanish and Dominican monks, and was also a thriving marketplace.

With its cobbles, stone walls and hanging baskets, San Lázaro is the most romantic part of Arequipa. Its streetscapes are especially beautiful in the glow of sunrise or sunset.

In San Lázaro you can stop by at Mundo Alpaca, where you can meet many cute alpacas and llamas, and see local weavers busy at work. The neighbourhood is also home to little markets and craft fairs, such as Fundo el Fierro, where you can browse handcrafts and textiles.

Best places to stay around the San Lázaro neighbourhood

In San Lázaro you can stay in hotels or hostels set in old casas, made from old stone or white sillar. This is where you can fully immerse yourself in the old stories of the city.

These are our recommendations on the best places to stay in San Lázaro:

• Hotel La Casa de Irma: family-owned boutique hotel set in a brilliant whitewashed sillar building on a quite side alley, ideal for a relaxing retreat.
• Hampton by Hilton: modern Hilton hotel meets historic Arequipa building, with a rooftop jacuzzi and colonial courtyards where you can enjoy breakfast.
• Colonial San Lázaro: rustic and colourful hotel in a recently renovated casa, with stunning bedrooms built into old stony vaults.
• Selina Arequipa: hostel-meets-hotel with an almost resort-style setting, with a swimming pool and a coworking space (ideal for a workation or for digital nomads).
• Orkkowasi Backpackers: budget accommodation with some of the cheapest private rooms in the city, with a roof terrace and in-house fitness classes for guests.

Selva Alegre: green parks and waterways

Selva Alegre is a leafy neighbourhood of Arequipa a little further out from the city centre, getting into the suburbs. You will find it by continuing further north from San Lázaro and across the main road of Avenida Juan de la Torre.

Selva Alegre Park, a huge green park and garden, is the centre point of the neighbourhood. It’s a great place for families, with a boating lake, a zoo and children’s play areas all within the grounds.

The neighbourhood is also where you will find many of the city’s university campuses, sports clubs and stadiums.

Selva Alegre is ideal if you want to stay somewhere with more green space, or if you’re travelling with kids. When you want to do some sightseeing or hit the city centre for some food, Plaza de Armas is about a 20-minute walk from the park.

Best places to stay in Selva Alegre

Selva Alegre features some of Arequipa’s more upmarket hotels, as well as some beautiful villas and boutique establishments.

These are our top picks for places to stay in Selva Alegre:

• Wyndham Costa del Sol Arequipa: one of Arequipa’s most visually impressive hotels, with flowery gardens and a swimming pool set within Selva Alegre Park.
• Hotel Villa del Carmen: peaceful hotel in a villa with bright and spacious rooms right next to the park, with an excellent buffet breakfast.
• Hotel Boutique Villa Elisa: boutique hotel in an old colonial building with wooden furnishings, parquet floors and a warm outdoor pool looking out onto gardens.
• Hotel Boutique Selva Alegre: cosy 3-star boutique hotel in a quaint building with colourful rooms and an in-house coffee shop.
• Hotel Benavides: affordable boutique hotel between the park and the main road, with a scenic rooftop breakfast room.

Yanahuara: scenic views across the river

If you want to stay somewhere in Arequipa slightly off the beaten path, Yanahuara is a great choice, west across the river from Plaza de Armas.

The most striking thing about this peaceful neighbourhood is Mirador de Yanahuara, where you can see arguably the very best view of Misti Volcano anywhere in Arequipa, framed dramatically in white sillar arches. You can sometimes catch live open air music performances here as well.

Yanahuara’s plaza and viewing point is about a half-hour walk from Plaza de Armas, crossing the Chili River on Puente Grau, and turning to the right.

Around the neighbourhood you will find quaint churches, leafy parks, cosy artsy cafés and street food carts. We like this part of the city for a workation or business travel, with its laidback atmosphere.

Best places to stay in Yanahuara

If you want to stay somewhere with a view in Arequipa, Yanahuara has some of the best terrace and balcony vantage points in the city. The neighbourhood’s accommodation largely comprises a mixture of modern and boutique hotels.

These are our personal favourite places to stay in Yanahuara:

• Costana 702 Hotel Boutique: quaint boutique hotel in a quiet spot close to the Yanahuara viewing point, and with its own stunning views from a rooftop terrace.
• La Posada del Puente: elegant hotel in stunning grounds on the west riverbank between Plaza de Armas and Yanahuara, with an outstanding in-house restaurant.
• Hotel La Casona del Olivo Arequipa: charming boutique hotel in a century-old colonial house one block south of the Yanahuara viewpoint.
• Azul Colonial: clean and colourful little hotel in a colonial house, featuring a peaceful inner courtyard with palm trees and a water fountain.
• Natura Inn: boutique hotel in a gated community a few blocks south of Yanahuara viewpoint, with amazing views of Misti Volcano from its rooftop terrace.

Where to stay in Arequipa: map

You can explore the best areas to stay in Arequipa and our recommended accommodations by clicking the map below:

Do you have any of your own recommendations on where to stay in Arequipa? Let us know in the comments below.

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