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Roots Earth in Arequipa: audio stories about 44 places

Roots Earth has audio stories about 44 places in Arequipa, Peru, in Latin America. The Arequipa stories are in all seven Roots Earth languages: English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian. The app needs no account: open Arequipa, pick a place on the city's map of places and play. Download a city's audio, then it plays without a connection. The stories are written by local people.

The 44 places are listed below in the order the app shows them, and again further down with their coordinates. The lists were taken from the Roots Earth catalogue on 15 September 2026.

Published 16 September 2026. Markdown: arequipa.md

The 44 places in Arequipa with audio stories

In the order the app shows them.

  1. Monastery of Santa Catalina
  2. Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa
  3. Plaza de Armas
  4. Historic Centre of Arequipa
  5. Church of the Society of Jesus
  6. Andean Sanctuaries Museum
  7. Mummy Juanita
  8. Casa del Moral
  9. Tristán del Pozo House
  10. Goyeneche Palace
  11. Convent of La Recoleta
  12. Yanahuara Viewpoint
  13. El Misti
  14. Chachani
  15. Pichu Pichu
  16. National University of San Agustín
  17. Estadio Monumental Virgen de Chapi
  18. FBC Melgar
  19. Sillar Stone
  20. Colca Canyon
  21. Andean Baroque
  22. Toro Muerto
  23. Chili River
  24. Statue of Liberty
  25. Mario Vargas Llosa House
  26. Catholic University of Santa María
  27. City of Arequipa
  28. Jesuit Heritage of Arequipa
  29. Yanahuara
  30. Cayma
  31. San Lázaro Quarter
  32. Sabandía
  33. Paucarpata
  34. Characato
  35. Sachaca
  36. Tiabaya
  37. Miraflores
  38. Mariano Melgar
  39. Cerro Colorado
  40. Alto Selva Alegre
  41. Socabaya
  42. Jacobo Hunter
  43. Uchumayo
  44. Chiguata

Is there an audio guide for Monastery of Santa Catalina?

Yes. Monastery of Santa Catalina has its audio stories in the Roots Earth app: a short introduction and a deeper story, in English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian.

It is place 1 of the 44 Arequipa places in the app, at -16.395, -71.53667. Every one of the other 43 places in the list above has the same two stories.

Roots Earth is not a guided tour: you choose the place on the city's map of places and play its story yourself.

How to use Roots Earth in Arequipa

Open Roots Earth and choose Arequipa. The city has its own map of places with all 44 of them on it. Tap the place you are standing in front of, or any other, and play its short introduction or its deeper story. You decide what to listen to and in which order.

You can listen in English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian, and there is no account. Download a city's audio, then it plays without a connection.

In full

All 44 places in Arequipa, in the app's order, with their coordinates.

All 44 places in Arequipa, with coordinates

Every place below has a short introduction and a deeper story in the Roots Earth app, in English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian. The names, the coordinates (latitude, longitude) and the one line descriptions are the app's own catalogue values of 15 September 2026; a place without a line here has none that this page can print.

1. Monastery of Santa Catalina

Coordinates
-16.395, -71.53667
In one line
A walled convent founded in 1579, this vast complex of painted lanes, cloisters and private cells once sheltered cloistered nuns from Arequipa's wealthiest families. Spanning roughly 20,000 square meters in white sillar stone, it forms a serene city within the city.

2. Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa

Coordinates
-16.3981, -71.5366
In one line
Stretching the full north side of the Plaza de Armas, this immense white sillar cathedral was completed in 1656, then rebuilt after fire and earthquakes. Its Neo-Renaissance facade, twin towers and great Belgian organ make it one of southern Peru's grandest churches.

3. Plaza de Armas

Coordinates
-16.3988, -71.537
In one line
The civic heart of Arequipa, laid out when the city was founded in 1540. Sillar arcades line three sides, the long cathedral closes the fourth, and a bronze fountain crowned by the trumpeter figure called Tuturutu stands at the center beneath the volcanoes.

4. Historic Centre of Arequipa

Coordinates
-16.4, -71.53333
In one line
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, Arequipa's historic core is built almost entirely from white volcanic sillar. Its arcades, vaults and carved portals fuse European design with Andean craftsmanship, forming one of the finest mestizo-Baroque ensembles in the Americas.

5. Church of the Society of Jesus

Coordinates
-16.3992, -71.5367
In one line
A Jesuit church begun in 1590 and finished in 1698, famed for its intricately carved sillar facade in the mestizo-Baroque style. Inside, the San Ignacio chapel dazzles with a polychrome ceiling painted with tropical flora and fauna, a jewel of colonial Arequipa.

6. Andean Sanctuaries Museum

Coordinates
-16.39982, -71.53779

7. Mummy Juanita

Coordinates
-16.39982, -71.5378
In one line
An Inca girl sacrificed on Mount Ampato between about 1440 and 1480 and discovered frozen in 1995, Juanita is among the best-preserved mummies ever found. Her skin, hair, organs and fine garments survive intact, displayed in a refrigerated case in Arequipa.

8. Casa del Moral

Coordinates
-16.39694, -71.53778
In one line
Casa del Moral is one of Peru's finest surviving examples of Andean Baroque civil architecture, built around 1730 in white volcanic sillar. Named for the ancient mulberry tree in its courtyard, it now holds Cusco School paintings and a colonial library.

9. Tristán del Pozo House

Coordinates
-16.3978, -71.5369
In one line
Built from 1738 for Domingo Carlos Tristán del Pozo, this Andean Baroque mansion on San Francisco street is famed for its elaborately carved sillar doorway and twin courtyards. Owned by BBVA since 1974, it now houses an art gallery and small museum.

10. Goyeneche Palace

Coordinates
-16.3985, -71.5358
In one line
A manorial sillar house on La Merced street, acquired by the noble Goyeneche family in the 18th century. Its facade bears the shield of Jose Sebastian de Goyeneche, bishop of Arequipa and later archbishop of Lima. It now houses Peru's central bank.

11. Convent of La Recoleta

Coordinates
-16.3965, -71.5435
In one line
Founded in 1648, this Franciscan convent in white sillar sits across the Chili River from central Arequipa. Built around four tranquil cloisters, it holds a celebrated library of colonial and rare books, plus Amazonian and pre-Columbian collections, and remains a quiet retreat today.

12. Yanahuara Viewpoint

Coordinates
-16.38738, -71.5421
In one line
In the Yanahuara district, this 19th-century mirador frames Arequipa's classic view of El Misti through white sillar arches inscribed with quotations. Beside the San Juan Bautista church, it draws crowds for sweeping panoramas of the city and its ring of volcanoes.

13. El Misti

Coordinates
-16.29639, -71.41056
In one line
El Misti is the symmetrical stratovolcano rising 5,822 meters above Arequipa, the city's emblem and "house mountain." Inca priests performed sacrifices near its summit during its last major eruption. Closely monitored today, it remains one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes.

14. Chachani

Coordinates
-16.18333, -71.51667
In one line
Chachani is a sprawling volcanic complex rising 6,057 meters northwest of Arequipa. Its broad, rugged summit stands beyond the cone of El Misti.

15. Pichu Pichu

Coordinates
-16.44114, -71.24039
In one line
Pichu Pichu is an eroded volcano rising 5,664 meters east of Arequipa. Its jagged seven-summit ridge was a sacred apu where the Inca left child sacrifices, and it still guards the city skyline today.

16. National University of San Agustín

Coordinates
-16.4137, -71.5342
In one line
Founded in 1828, the National University of San Agustín is one of Peru's oldest and largest public universities. From its Neoclassical halls in Arequipa it now teaches more than 27,000 students across 17 colleges and three campuses.

17. Estadio Monumental Virgen de Chapi

Coordinates
-16.40729, -71.5202
In one line
Inaugurated on July 30, 1995, this vast bowl owned by the San Agustín university is the home ground of FBC Melgar. Seating around 60,000, it sits at 2,370 meters and has hosted Copa América and Copa Sudamericana matches.

18. FBC Melgar

Coordinates
-16.399, -71.536
In one line
Founded in 1915 and named for the poet Mariano Melgar, FBC Melgar is Arequipa's beloved red-and-black football club. Nicknamed the Domino and the Lion of the South, it won Peru's national title in 1981 and again in 2015.

19. Sillar Stone

Coordinates
-16.4, -71.538
In one line
Sillar is the pale volcanic rock that gives Arequipa its nickname, the White City. Quarried from ancient pyroclastic flows near the Chachani volcano, this soft, workable tuff built the cathedrals, mansions, and carved portals of the historic center.

20. Colca Canyon

Coordinates
-15.59722, -71.87917
In one line
One of the world's deepest canyons, Colca plunges up to 2,000 meters along the Colca River northwest of Arequipa. Famed for soaring Andean condors and ancient farming terraces, it is among Peru's most visited natural wonders.

21. Andean Baroque

Coordinates
-16.3992, -71.5367
In one line
Andean Baroque is a colonial architectural style flourishing between 1680 and 1780, fusing European Baroque with indigenous craft. Across Arequipa and the highlands, masons carved flat, dense facades of flowers, pumas, and mermaids into white sillar.

22. Toro Muerto

Coordinates
-16.21, -72.45
In one line
Toro Muerto is a vast field of ancient petroglyphs in the desert of Castilla Province, where roughly 3000 volcanic boulders carry images carved by the Wari culture more than a thousand years ago.

23. Chili River

Coordinates
-16.39, -71.54
In one line
The Chili River crosses Arequipa from north to southwest, carving the green valley that made settlement possible. Fed by Andean meltwater and ringed by volcanoes, it links the desert coast to the highland country above.

24. Statue of Liberty

Coordinates
-16.4, -71.537
In one line
Arequipa's Statue of Liberty stands as a monument to the struggle for Peruvian independence, a winged figure raised within the city that prides itself on its rebellious, liberty-loving spirit. It honors the long fight that ended Spanish rule in 1821.

25. Mario Vargas Llosa House

Coordinates
-16.3987, -71.5372
In one line
The Casa Museo Mario Vargas Llosa stands on the spot where the Nobel laureate was born in 1936. Opened in 2014, its seventeen rooms trace his life and work through holograms and three-dimensional films.

26. Catholic University of Santa María

Coordinates
-16.404, -71.553
In one line
The Catholic University of Santa María, founded in Arequipa in 1961, is one of Peru's oldest private universities. It famously cares for Juanita, the frozen Inca mummy recovered from Mount Ampato in 1995.

27. City of Arequipa

Coordinates
-16.39889, -71.53694
In one line
Arequipa, the White City, was founded in 1540 beneath three volcanoes. Built from pale sillar stone and rebuilt after repeated earthquakes, its historic center became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

28. Jesuit Heritage of Arequipa

Coordinates
-16.3992, -71.5368
In one line
The Jesuit heritage of Arequipa centers on the Church and Cloisters of the Society of Jesus, a masterwork of mestizo Baroque carved in white sillar. Completed in 1698, it survived the order's expulsion from Spanish America in 1767.

29. Yanahuara

Coordinates
-16.38738, -71.5421
In one line
Yanahuara is a small district across the Chili River from central Arequipa, declared a town in 1870. Famous for its sillar viewpoint of arches framing El Misti, its 1750 mestizo church, and narrow stone lanes.

30. Cayma

Coordinates
-16.38153, -71.54556
In one line
Cayma is a hillside district north of central Arequipa, created in 1823. Long called the balcony of the city for its high views of El Misti, it centers on the Baroque San Miguel Arcángel church and is known as the birthplace of adobo.

31. San Lázaro Quarter

Coordinates
-16.3945, -71.5355
In one line
San Lázaro is the oldest neighborhood in Arequipa, the spot where the city began before its 1540 founding. A maze of narrow sillar alleys, geranium-draped walls, and a small early chapel, it survives within the UNESCO historic center.

32. Sabandía

Coordinates
-16.46694, -71.5
In one line
Sabandía is a rural district southeast of Arequipa, created in 1822. Its centerpiece is the Molino de Sabandía, a sillar water mill commissioned in 1621 and restored in 1973, set among green fields, springs, and terraces beneath the volcanoes.

33. Paucarpata

Coordinates
-16.40778, -71.66312
In one line
Paucarpata is a populous district southeast of central Arequipa whose Quechua name means flowered terrace. Famous for its ancient agricultural terraces stepping below El Misti, it was founded in 1572 and granted district status in 1825.

34. Characato

Coordinates
-16.49333, -71.49278
In one line
Characato is a rural district southeast of Arequipa, first settled by the Spanish around 1541. Known for its green campiña, its San Juan Bautista church, and the natural spring called Ojo del Milagro that still waters its fields, it serves as one of the city's green lungs.

35. Sachaca

Coordinates
-16.425, -71.56611
In one line
Sachaca is a district west of central Arequipa, its parish founded in 1776 and district created in 1857. Set in green campiña, it is best known for the Mirador de Sachaca, one of the province's great viewpoints over the city and its volcanoes.

36. Tiabaya

Coordinates
-16.42556, -71.56278
In one line
Tiabaya is a farming district on the warm valley floor southwest of Arequipa, sitting at roughly 2,178 meters. Its fields, orchards and small plaza keep a rural Andean rhythm just beyond the city's edge.

37. Miraflores

Coordinates
-16.39417, -71.52228
In one line
Miraflores is a dense traditional district just northeast of central Arequipa, established on January 2, 1857. Set at about 2,430 meters, it blends old neighborhood streets, busy markets and a strong local identity close to the historic core.

38. Mariano Melgar

Coordinates
-16.4, -71.48306
In one line
Mariano Melgar is a populous district east of central Arequipa, named for the city's beloved poet and patriot. Set around 2,385 meters, it carries his name through busy residential streets, markets and a strong working-class identity.

39. Cerro Colorado

Coordinates
-16.3768, -71.56033
In one line
Cerro Colorado is a large, populous district spreading across the northwestern edge of Arequipa, founded on February 26, 1954. Set near 2,406 meters, it ranges from dense neighborhoods to open volcanic terrain long associated with sillar stone.

40. Alto Selva Alegre

Coordinates
-16.3789, -71.52064
In one line
Alto Selva Alegre is a small, densely built hillside district climbing northeast of central Arequipa toward El Misti.

41. Socabaya

Coordinates
-16.47, -71.54
In one line
Socabaya is a district on the southern edge of Arequipa, set around 2,300 meters, where old farming villages meet expanding neighborhoods. Its valley land, country kitchens and traditional pueblo character keep a rural Andean spirit close to the city.

42. Jacobo Hunter

Coordinates
-16.45, -71.55
In one line
Jacobo Hunter is a district on the southwestern slopes of Arequipa, established on June 2, 1990, and named for a long-serving immigrant doctor. Set around 2,250 meters, its hillside neighborhoods open onto wide panoramas of the city.

43. Uchumayo

Coordinates
-16.41528, -71.66361
In one line
Uchumayo is a riverside district west of Arequipa where the Chili River cuts past sillar quarries and a colonial bridge. Its Quechua name means pepper river, and locals are known for chimbango, a homemade fig liquor.

44. Chiguata

Coordinates
-16.4, -71.4
In one line
Chiguata is a cold highland district southeast of Arequipa, set between the volcanoes Misti and Pichu Pichu. Its Quechua name means cold all year. The town centers on the Templo del Espíritu Santo, whose construction began in the mid-seventeenth century.

Roots Earth in short

Roots Earth has audio stories about 5,665 places in 130 cities, 25 countries and 6 regions, written by local people.

  • No account
  • Download a city's audio, then it plays without a connection
  • Audio stories in English and German in every city, and in Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and Albanian in 126 of the 130 cities

Roots Earth for Android is available on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rootsearth.app.