Jaunted

In the city, things to do include visiting monasteries-turned-museums, eating savory regional dishes and sitting at cafes along Paseo Catedral, a walkway behind the cathedral.

First I stopped by the central market, five blocks south of the Plaza de Armas. It was clean and well organized. Friendly vendors explained the different foods, like tunta, potatoes dehydrated by a freezing process in Andean highlands. Locally-grown dried paprika and five kinds of the ají pepper are among tall displays of veggies and grains.

A hot, sweet drink made of kiwicha – a super-grain known as amaranth in English – costs 70 centimos (a quarter) and is perfect for breakfast. There's a whole section of stands selling lamb head soup for five soles. It was simple and tasty – a good showcase of the extra starchy, fibrous tunta – although you have to be OK with looking at a toothy jawbone floating in your bowl.

To see a less-visited part of the city, I recommend the borough of Yanahuara, one mile east of Arequipa's center. An ornate church and chic restaurant flank Yanahuara's main square, next to an overlook with sillar arches and views of the volcanoes.

Near Yanahuara is the Museo La Recoleta, a 17th century convent built by Franciscans. It's a humble place but has good exhibits of Peru's Amazon region and Precolombian art and weavings, including erotic pottery and some very real mummies. With a five sol entrance fee, La Recoleta is a cheaper alternative than the 35-sol Monasterio Santa Catalina, for those who want to get some culture in Arequipa. (Santa Catalina, a monastery built in 1580, does sound spectacular, though – a giant labyrinth of tiny streets, courtyards and gardens – and should be visited if you've got more time and money.)

A couple days later during the trip, when stopping through Arequipa on a bus connection, I checked out Arancota, a street full of large chicharronería restaurants. Located on the edge of the city next to small farms, Arancota is the place to try Arequipa's cuisine: the sampler plate at Mi Tierra, a place with outdoor seating and volcano vistas, included three types of chicharron, rocoto relleno (a meat-stuffed pepper) and a potato casserole. Authentic and dangerously heavy.

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