Explore the Anashuayco Quarries, where stonemasons carve the white sillar stone that gives Arequipa its nickname, the White City. Watch traditional stone-cutting up close, then head to the Culebrillas Canyon, where winding volcanic-rock walls form a mesmerizing natural landscape.
Suitable for all ages.
Sillar is the white volcanic stone that Arequipa is built from, quarried from the ash flows of the surrounding volcanoes. It is soft enough to be cut by hand and hard enough to last centuries, which is why the historic centre is white and why the city is known as the White City. At the Anashuayco quarries you watch stonemasons cutting blocks the same way they have for generations.
Two payments of S/ 5, in cash and in soles: one at the Anashuayco quarries and one at the Culebrillas Canyon. Both go to the communities that manage the sites. Bring small notes, as there is nowhere to pay by card out there.
Not much distance, but the ground is loose and sandy and the Culebrillas Canyon is a narrow winding passage with uneven rock underfoot. Closed shoes with grip are the one thing that really matters. The quarries are dusty and completely exposed, so add a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen; the reflected glare off white sillar is stronger than you expect.
Two departures: pickup at 09:00 with return around 13:00, or pickup at 14:00 with return around 18:00. Four hours either way, including hotel pickup in Arequipa and transport to the quarries in Cerro Colorado.
Yes, and it tends to hold their attention better than a church tour: there is machinery, hand tools, huge blocks of stone and a canyon to walk through. The uneven ground is the only real consideration, so closed shoes and an eye on younger ones near the quarry edges.
