The Sillar Route

Arequipa has an architectural and unique landscape. The construction of its mansions, monuments, temples and, in general, the vast majority of buildings that surround the historic center are made in sillar: white lava stone from the volcanoes whose special shine has given this city the distinctive of ' White City'.

Nowadays, there is a tourist circuit called the Sillar Route where you can witness the entire process of extraction and carving in detail of this mineral.

Pick up from the hotel at 8:30AM or 2 PM and departure to the Cerro Colorado District, where is located the Añashuayco Quarries, where we will live a unique experience.

We will walk through the area, where we will appreciate handmade works such as: huge cliffs up to 30 meters high, facades and colonial carvings.

We will find the artisan workshops for the interpretation of sillar carving directed by stonemasons.

During the visit to the sillar route you will be able to hear the voice of the master stonemason, today known as "cutters or cortadores de sillar" stories of effort and tenacity.

You will watch the falls of larger blocks and the wonderful experience of seeing small blocks of ashlar carved in person, made with ancestral instruments used from generation to generation. In this area you can buy handicrafts and souvenirs made from the ashlar from the quarry.

Our next stop will be the Culebrillas quarry, a natural ravine formed by the erosion of water and wind whose name is due to its geography that, in the form of narrow rows, show us the beauty of a "virgin quarry" that causes sensations of majesty when walking through it.

There is a space formed by the crossroads in whose cliffs there are recordings of petroglyphs of different shapes, which may have Wari influence. Return to the hotel.

• Transport
• English - spanish speaking guuide
• Entrance Fee

• Snacks