Arequipa, lovely and livable

Arequipa was exactly what we needed after out time in the jungle and our 60-hour bus marathon. Coming from Bolivia, Peru seems ultra-modern and paradisiacal. There’s fast Internet! There’s soft serve ice cream! What a dreamland. We stayed for two nights in Arequipa, taking leisurely strolls around town and enjoying the fantastic architecture and mountain views. Arequipa seemed to us a very modern, well-off, and livable city. We’d love to go back and spend more time!

Arequipa's Plaza de Armas — Arequipa’s Plaza de Armas

Volcán El Misti behind the Plaza de Armas

Cool tree/totem pole in Yanahuara neighborhood

Night view from our hostel's rooftop — Night view from our hostel’s rooftop

NOTE FROM ZACH IN 2024: Wow, I forgot about Volcán El Misti! That is one impressive volcano! Arequipa really was a nice city, but seemed better because we had just spent a month in Bolivia. Bolivia is really poor, and it was rough sometimes out there. Peru, while also poor, has some areas of wealth mixed up in it. There’s also more expats and travelers around, so sometimes it doesn’t seem quit as wild. You can still get really out there though and it doesn’t take a long time to arrive someplace that’s really out of this world.

Carrie Hoffman

Founder of Bigger Life Adventures. Trauma-informed yoga teacher, 8-year Juvenile Detention Center yoga provider, and lead trainer for the Guatemala 200-hour YTT.