Romantic Stays and Evenings in Arequipa
Couples can build a slow trip around Arequipa’s restored buildings, sunsets and long lunches. The Colca valley adds hot springs and quiet. Prices are in Peruvian soles (S/), and the city is at about 2,335 m, so keep the first evening light.
Where to stay
- CIRQA, Relais and Châteaux, Calle Agustín Goyeneche 312. The hotel fills the restored 16th-century church of San Agustín with 11 rooms and two patios.
- Casa Andina Premium Arequipa, Calle Ugarte 403. This is a colonial house of about 1794, called the Casa de la Moneda, with a chapel and courtyard.
- Las Casitas, a Belmond hotel, Yanque, Colca Valley. It has 20 casitas, each with a private hot tub, plus a spa.
- Colca Lodge Spa and Hot Springs, Fundo Puye, Yanque. Guests share riverside hot-spring pools, and there is a spa.
Compare city rooms on Booking.com . For the valley, plan at least two days from Arequipa. The road crosses a pass at about 4,800 m, so travel with water and avoid heavy drinking the night before.
An evening plan
Cross the Chili river to Yanahuara for sunset. The mirador there has carved sillar arches framing Misti and Chachani, and it is free. The church of San Juan Bautista is on the same plaza. Vendors sell queso helado, the cinnamon-and-coconut frozen dessert, around the plaza.
Then walk or take a taxi to a picantería. La Nueva Palomino, Leoncio Prado 122, in Yanahuara, is run by a family and cooks over a wood fire. La Capitana, Los Arces 209, in Cayma, is another traditional choice. Hours vary, so have your hotel call ahead. If you visit between early January and 31 March, skip shrimp soup, because the river shrimp season is closed.
A night in the valley
Las Casitas and Colca Lodge both sit at Yanque, a village in the valley, which means the Cruz del Cóndor lookout is a drive of roughly an hour beyond Chivay in the morning. The lookout is about 45 km past Chivay, and condors are not guaranteed, so treat them as a bonus. A foreign adult needs the S/70 Colca boleto turístico, sold online, at Chivay or at the Arequipa office. The official Colca site lists the sales points. Rainy months, roughly December to March, can cause landslides on the road, so ask your hotel about conditions the day before you leave.
A morning together
Santa Catalina opens at 9:00 AM every day, and the blue and terracotta lanes suit a slow stroll. It also stays open until 8:00 PM on Tuesday and Wednesday. A foreign adult ticket costs S/50, and tickets are on the official site .
Practical notes
Use hotel-booked taxis after dark. Peru is Level 2 on the US scale, and demonstrations occasionally close roads, so check with the hotel before a transfer into the valley.
Read more: Couple activities in Arequipa .