Was here for a few days recently. Loved this city and I wish I could have stayed longer to really dig deep. Could see myself here for a month or more in the future. Without a doubt this is my second favorite Peruvian city that i've been to as of today.
Arequipa is truly picturesque and is definitely a good base city for those looking to focus on treks or just take a break from the pollution and congestion of Lima. Weather is about as perfect as it gets for me. Sunny and 70 about everyday of the year.
The culture and feel of the city are definitely unique for Peru. More European/Spaniard than not in many ways. The city is very clean for Latin American standards as well. Arequipa has arguably the best regional cuisine in all of Peru as well and you will eat extremely well here.
Of course the nightlife is not equal to Lima or Cusco, but there are decent options. Especially on the higher restaurant/bar end of the nightlife spectrum (Museo de Pisco, etc.) Saw lot of good talent out near Plaza de Armas and on Mercaderes nearby during the day. There's a sizeable tourism influence here, but like elsewhere in Peru it's not hard to seperate yourself from that crowd at all.
Arequipeñas average better than the average Peruana, and surprisingly the Andean troll gene is not overly dominant even though it's in close proximity to that hotspot. Having said that it's no better than what you will find in Lima simply because Lima is 10 times the size. I'd say of the larger cities Arequipa beats out Cuzco and definitely beats out Iquitos for Peruanas.
Still have a few more places to explore, but I believe Areqiupa will remain a firm number 2 in Peru for quality of chicas, game, etc. If you rate other aspects higher, than Arequipa could very well beat out Lima as numero uno.
Shoutout to Papi Rico for writing on this gem. Still a very relevant sheet as of October 2016.
Arequipa is truly picturesque and is definitely a good base city for those looking to focus on treks or just take a break from the pollution and congestion of Lima. Weather is about as perfect as it gets for me. Sunny and 70 about everyday of the year.
The culture and feel of the city are definitely unique for Peru. More European/Spaniard than not in many ways. The city is very clean for Latin American standards as well. Arequipa has arguably the best regional cuisine in all of Peru as well and you will eat extremely well here.
Of course the nightlife is not equal to Lima or Cusco, but there are decent options. Especially on the higher restaurant/bar end of the nightlife spectrum (Museo de Pisco, etc.) Saw lot of good talent out near Plaza de Armas and on Mercaderes nearby during the day. There's a sizeable tourism influence here, but like elsewhere in Peru it's not hard to seperate yourself from that crowd at all.
Arequipeñas average better than the average Peruana, and surprisingly the Andean troll gene is not overly dominant even though it's in close proximity to that hotspot. Having said that it's no better than what you will find in Lima simply because Lima is 10 times the size. I'd say of the larger cities Arequipa beats out Cuzco and definitely beats out Iquitos for Peruanas.
Still have a few more places to explore, but I believe Areqiupa will remain a firm number 2 in Peru for quality of chicas, game, etc. If you rate other aspects higher, than Arequipa could very well beat out Lima as numero uno.
Shoutout to Papi Rico for writing on this gem. Still a very relevant sheet as of October 2016.