Can you imagine to watch an Inca mummy that is more than 550 years old in a perfect state of preservation, admiring an enormous collection of religious art or strolling through the corners of the mansion where the Nobel Prize for Literature Mario Vargas Llosa lived?
The museums of Arequipa house a large number of historical and cultural treasures that narrate the events that marked the life of this important city of Peru.
Visiting the different cultural spaces of this city, located at the foot of the Misti volcano, means a journey through time through the pre-Inca, colonial and republican eras. And there is nothing more enriching than knowing the cultural legacy of the place you visit. You just need to be curious and plan your time, because here we put together the itinerary with the museums that you should not miss on your visit to the White City.
Santuarios Andinos Museum (MUSA)
Founded in 1996, it is one of the main cultural centers of Arequipa. It has a huge collection of ceramics, metals and textiles that corresponds to the Inca culture with an age of approximately 500 years. Its largest exhibition is the world-famous Juanita Mummy, which was found in 1996 on top of the Ampato volcano during an expedition in the Andes Mountains.
The discovery marked a milestone in the history of Peruvian archeology and surprised the world due to the natural mummification process that the body went through as a result of glacial freezing, which allowed its great state of conservation. During the visit, people are guided to a room to watch an informative video that narrates the events of this discovery and the data that is known about the life of the Lady of Ampato.
Here you will also find other mummies like Urpicha and Saria. Office hours are Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The cost of admission for adults is 25 soles and for minors, 5 soles.
The Recoleta Monastery
Created in 1648, it is one of the oldest convent and museum in the city. It is located in the Antiquilla neighborhood and its construction represents a true architectural gem wherever you look at it due to its variety of styles that range from romantic to neo-Gothic.
The interior of the enclosure has four cloisters and eleven galleries that bring together collections from the Archaeological and Anthropological Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Religious Arts Museum. Along with the religious pieces, visitors can explore an important collection of paintings from the Cusco school, as well as pre-Columbian and Amazonian works of art.
On the other hand, for lovers of literature, the museum houses a library with more than 25,000 volumes, many of them from the 16th to the 19th centuries. It also has a viewpoint where you can see a spectacular view of the entire city of Arequipa. Office hours are Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Santa Teresa Monastery and Viceroyalty Art Museum
It is one of the cultural centers that houses the largest collection of art pieces in the history of Arequipa. It is located next to the convent of the same name and was built in 1710. Walking through its interior, you will find 13 rooms full of porcelain objects, paintings, sculptures and murals, of different themes, among which those dedicated to the order of Carmen, the Christmas holidays, the saints of the church and the Virgin Mary.
The museum has a souvenir shop and, if you feel like trying a delicious dessert, it has a candy store where you can buy cakes made daily by the nuns, such as wrapped apples and mille-feuille with blancmange, alfajores, among others. It is located in the middle of Calle Melgar and the opening hours are from Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The general admission cost is 20 soles; university students and older adults pay 10 soles; and students, 5 soles.
Mario Vargas Llosa House Museum
One of the most illustrious characters born in Arequipa is, without a doubt, the famous writer and Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Mario Vargas Llosa. This old house, restored and now converted into a museum, offers a journey through some of the scenes from the life and work of the novelist through holograms and 3D films.
During the visit through its 17 rooms, you will learn more about his biography that includes his time at the Leoncio Prado Military College, his trips to Paris and London, his foray into writing and politics, obtaining the Nobel Prize and details about his works. literary. It also houses a collection of personal belongings and has a reduced capacity of 48 visitors per day. It is located on Avenida Parra and the opening hours are from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The entrance fee is 10 soles.
Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC)
This cultural center exhibits the works of the most outstanding local artists and exhibits a vision of current Peruvian art in three environments of constant exhibitions for free. One of the rooms shows the most representative of Arequipa’s watercolor, while another is dedicated to the photographic work of the Vargas Llosa brothers.
The MAC Arequipa is located at the intersection of Tacna and Arica avenues and its opening hours are from Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The entrance fee is 3 soles for adults.