Santa Catalina Monastery
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⬇️ 10 Best things to do in Arequipa 🇵🇪 Arequipa, nicknamed the „White City“ due to its stunning colonial architecture, is a city rich in history, culture, and natural beauty. It’s surrounded by four impressive volcanoes: Misti (which almost looks like Mount Fuji in Japan), Chachani, Pichu Pichu, and Ubinas. 1. Explore the Historic Center of Arequipa 🏛️ 2. Visit the Santa Catalina Monastery ⛪ 3. Stroll through the picturesque Yanahuara District 🌸 4. Go on a day trip to Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world 🏞️ 5. Climb Misti Volcano if you’re looking for a challenging adventure 🗻 6. Visit the Museo Santuarios Andinos for a glimpse into Inca culture and rituals 🏺 7. Go wild river rafting on the Chili River 🌊 8. Try all the delicious fruits at the local market „Mercado Central“ 🍉 9. Enjoy a delicious meal at Tim Darío Restaurante 🍽️ 10. Admire Misti Volcano from the Mirador de Yanahuara 🌄 ➡️ Follow for more travel tips and impressions of our first group trip to Peru 🙌 #arequipaperu #visitperu #peruadventure #perutravel
our.traveltreatsour.traveltreats
35227
Infos/Tips: - Entrance is 45 SOL, but it’s worth it - There are audio guides through the iOS and Android applications "Monasterio de Santa Catalina" (Note that it supports Spanish, English and French, and will take the phone’s configured language) - It takes at least 2 hours to do the full tour of it (we took 2 hours and 15 minutes) - I would recommend to do it when it’s sunny/hot in the day, as it’s quite "cooler" in the museum - They accept VISA Founded in 1579 by Maria de Guzman, the Monastery of Santa Catalina is a sprawling complex that covers over 20,000 square meters. It served as a cloister for nuns of the Dominican Second Order and is renowned for its vibrant architecture and well-preserved colonial-era buildings. The monastery features a unique blend of Spanish colonial and native architectural styles, prominently using sillar, the white volcanic stone typical of Arequipa. The buildings are characterized by brightly colored walls in shades of blue, orange, and red, which create a striking visual impact and are complemented by beautiful arches, courtyards, and fountains. The monastery is organized into different sectors, including living quarters, chapels, plazas, streets, and gardens. Each sector served a specific purpose, reflecting the monastic life of prayer, work, and community.
Thomas DefiseThomas Defise
00
We loved our experience of the Monastery. A fascinating history and indeed the most beautiful and well preserved place you will visit in Peru. 40 soles entrance plus 10 soles each for an English speaking guide who was ok but not overly enthusiastic (think she’s bored of regurgitating the facts), still worth hearing however. The entrance fees are high for Peru and I believe some of the money goes to the upkeep of the monastery and some goes to the 18 active nuns still living in a separate section of the convent. If you’ve been to southern Spain this will be a particularly wowing experience for you as the architecture and colour-scheme are just of that in Córdoba and Granada. We spent almost 2 hours including the 45minute-1hr guided tour. We went at 10:30am and it was already a little busy, quite hot by the time we wanted to leave too. I would go earlier as the light might be a little softer for pictures, less busy and less hot. My boyfriend was a little irritated taking film photos because a few times someone stepped right into the otherwise clear frame just as he clicked the button. Haha Afterwards we went for coffee to La Dispenserie which was fantastic, buy a loaf of their ciabatta for 8 soles! It’s incredible. Love love loved it, could not recommend it more highly.
Alicey SimsAlicey Sims
00
It was one of the highlights of our 2 weeks tour of Peru. My recommendation is to get there early, as the mid morning sun cast the best light on the white washed sillar walls and the red and indigo interior. Do pay for a guide to explain the rich history behind the convent. The guided tour is done by the official onsite guide and in various languages and it only cost Sol 5 per person and you pay directly to the guide at the end of the guided tour. The guide we had was a female guide by the name of Alexandria and she is very knowledgeable and speaks perfect English. It is so fascinating to know that the convent was somewhat like the “Elite” convent only the rich and famous can afford to send their daughters. Many of the nuns had several (some up to 4-5) maids with them the entire time they were in the monastery! The tour will take about an hour to conclude, after which, spend another hour at least to wonder around the labyrinth-like convent and explore many of the living quarters of the nun. If you have time, maybe a mid-morning coffee in the picturesque cafe. Photo taking is permitted. All in all, plan to spend at least 2-2.5 hours here. It is very much well worth the time!
Han San LimHan San Lim
00
There are places you should visit when being in Arequipa. One of those places highly recommended is the monastery of Santa Catalina. It is like a small village in the city center, a monastery that is still in use but the biggest part of it is turned into a museum. Entrance fee is 45 soles per adult. When inside, you can either use a free guide that you can download on your phone (iOS and Android) or hire one of the official guides inside. They offer tours in various languages (English, Spanish, Italian, French and German). Their tour takes approx 60 minutes and after that you can still explore the place on your own. In the entry area, there are free lockers, where you can leave your bags if you want to. The place is amazingly beautiful. The history is somewhat strange. The monastery used to be kind of a religious prison for the second daughters of rich families, that could live there with everything life had to offer (private apartments, servants etc.) just missing that one little thing: freedom.
Jürgen LauxJürgen Laux
00
Really beautiful place, worth a visit. We were not sure if we wanted to pay the entrance fee, but after reading the reviews we decided to visit and were not disappointed! We also took a guide - at first, they told us there was no English - speaking guide, but after we waited around 5 minutes, a guide came to us and offered us a tour. Our guide Alexandra was really nice and gave us a lot of information. We paid 10 soles per person (it was 4 of us, we coupled with 2 other tourists, but the price per person doesn’t change no matter how many people are in the group). Also, we visited the Monastery in the afternoon (between 12-2 pm) and it was not so full of people. When we entered, we saw a lot of tourist groups leaving, so I guess it’s better to visit in the afternoon. There are bathrooms inside and also a small cafe where you can buy drinks and some cakes (we had lemon tart, but it had too much sugar). Definitely worth a visit, it’s a beautiful place and for us it was the highlight of Arequipa!
Cătălina DobreCătălina Dobre
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Nearby Attractions Of Santa Catalina Monastery
Plaza de Armas Arequipa
Selva Alegre Park
Mercado San Camilo
Cloisters of The Company
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Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa
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Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
Santa Catalina 301, Arequipa 04001, Peru
Map
Phone
+51 54 221213
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Website
santacatalina.org.pe
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Overview
4.7
(3.7K reviews)
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Description
The Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena is a large monastery of the Dominican Second Order, located in Arequipa, Peru. This is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historical Centre of the City of Arequipa".
attractions: Plaza de Armas Arequipa, Selva Alegre Park, Mercado San Camilo, Cloisters of The Company, Mundo Alpaca, Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa, Museo Santuarios Andinos, Bolognesi Bridge, Templo de San Agustín, Fundo El Fierro, restaurants: Picanteria La Mundial, Zig Zag, Chicha por Gaston Acurio, Pollos a la Brasa el Pio Pio, El Montonero - Restaurant Turístico, Las Gringas Pizza, 13 Monjas, Pasta Canteen, Red Pig, Museo del Pisco AQP
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