Arequipa: Sillar quarries half day tour

Overview

Begin your journey with a stop in Yanahuara, a traditional area of Arequipa known for its viewpoint overlooking the Misti, Chachani, and Pichu Pichu volcanoes, along with sweeping views of the surrounding countryside.

Continue to the active Añashuayco quarries, where you’ll walk through a canyon shaped by decades of stone extraction. Discover how sillar — the region’s white volcanic stone — is carved by hand, and how it became the foundation of Arequipa’s historic architecture, earning it the nickname «The White City.»

From there, head to Culebrillas Canyon for a short walk through a narrow gorge carved by water erosion, its towering stone walls marked by ancient petroglyphs. On the way back, pass by traditional apachetas before returning to the city center, finishing near Arequipa’s Main Square.