Can you imagine watching an Inca mummy with more than 550 years old in perfect condition, admiring a huge collection of religious art or walking through the corners of the house where the Nobel Prize in Literature Mario Vargas Llosa lived? Arequipa’s museums house a large number of historical and cultural treasures that narrate the events that marked the life of this important city in Peru.
Touring the different cultural spaces of this city, located at the slopes of the Misti volcano, means a journey through pre-Inca, colonial and republican times. 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 times, here we put together the itinerary with the museums that you should not miss on your trip to Arequipa.
Andean Shrines Museum (Museo Santuarios Andinos-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 an important event 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 incidents of this find and the information that is known about the life of the Lady of Ampato. Here you will also see mummies like Urpicha and Saria. The opening hours are from Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The cost of admission for adults is 15 soles and for minors, 5 soles.
Find more information here: https://www.ucsm.edu.pe/museo-santuarios-andinos/
Recoleta Monastery (Monasterio de la Recoleta)
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 because of its variety of styles ranging from romantic to neo-Gothic.
Inside the museum there are four cloisters and eleven galleries that bring together collections from the Archaeological and Anthropological Museum, the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Religious Arts. In addition to 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 thousand volumes, many of them from the 16th to the 19th centuries. It also has a viewpoint where you can see the entire city of Arequipa. The opening hours are from Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Discover more of this museum here: https://www.facebook.com/museolarecoleta
Santa Teresa Monastery and Museum of Viceregal Art (Monasterio y Museo de Arte Virreinal Santa Teresa)
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. As you walk through its interior, you will find 13 rooms full of porcelain objects, paintings, sculptures and murals of different themes, among which stand those dedicated to the Order of Carmen, the Christmas holidays, the church saints and the Virgin Mary.
The museum has a souvenir shop and, if you want to try a delicious dessert, it has a candy store where you can buy cakes made by the nuns, such as wrapped apples and strudel with manjar blanco, 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 seniors pay 10 soles; and students, 5 soles.
Here you will find more information: https://museosantateresa.org/
Mario Vargas Llosa’s house museum (Casa museo Mario Vargas Llosa)
One of the most illustrious characters born in Arequipa is, without a doubt, the famous writer and Nobel Prize winner in Literature Mario Vargas Llosa. This old house, restored and now converted into a museum, offers a tour of some of the scenes of the novelist’s life and work through holograms and 3D films.
During the visit through its 17 rooms, you will learn more about his biography that includes his stay at the Leoncio Prado Military College, his trips to Paris and London, his incursion into writing and politics, obtaining the Nobel Prize and details about his literary works. It also houses a collection of personal items and has a reduced capacity of 48 visitors per day. It is located on Parra avenue and the opening hours are from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The ticket cost is 10 soles.
Get more details here: https://www.facebook.com/casamariovargasllosa/
Museum of Contemporary Art (Museo de Arte Contemporáneo-MAC)
This cultural center exhibits the works of the most outstanding local artists and exposes a vision of the current Peruvian art in three environments of constant free exhibitions. One of the rooms shows the most representative watercolors of Arequipa, while another is dedicated to the photographic work of the Vargas Llosa brothers.
MAC Arequipa is located at the intersection of the avenues Tacna and Arica and the hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The entrance fee is 3 soles for adults.
More information here: https://www.facebook.com/museodeartecontemporaneoarequipa