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Cirqa, Arequipa

A former monastery dating back to 1583, Cirqa has been lovingly restored into a contemporary boutique hotel whilst retaining its original architectural style.

The building formed part of the San Agustín church and has an envious position, in the heart of the UNESCO centre of Arequipa, just a short walk from the Plaza de Armas and the Santa Catalina monastery.

Flanked by three volcanoes, Arequipa is known as the ‘White City’ due to the white volcanic rock, known as sillar, which is used in many of the city’s buildings. The strong rock can be found in the arches, columns and high-vaulted ceilings of the hotel.  

Inside Cirqa there are two beautiful courtyards, surrounded by eleven individually designed and styled rooms. There is also a heated plunge pool and therapy room.

The rooftop has been converted into a restaurant and organic garden, with impressive views of the city’s skyline. A separate dining room and lounge area can be found on the ground floor, which is solely for hotel guests. Cirqa’s restaurant provides a culinary journey through the flavours of Arequipa’s picanterías - known for their use of fresh ingredients and spice as well as their large portions!

Surrounded by art, history and architecture as well as larger natural phenomenon’s like the Colca Canyon and Chilina Valley, Cirqa have their own inhouse guides who are on hand to plan bespoke programs for guests staying on an all-inclusive basis. Activities range from historical tours of the city’s convents and museums, to full-day adrenaline packed adventures, including rafting and mountain biking in the surrounding canyons.

Cirqa, at a glance

  • Luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Arequipa’s old-town
  • Built in one of the wings of the San Agustín church
  • Just eleven individually designed and styled rooms
  • Two charming courtyards, a rooftop restaurant and lounge area
  • Heated plunge pool and spa room
  • Part of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux group
  • Created by the owners of Hotel B, Atemporal and Titilaka hotels in Lima and Lake Titicaca
  • Full board stay available which includes activities with the hotel’s own inhouse guides

For leisure and please

  • Explore the colonial monasteries of Arequipa’s UNESCO listed old-town, including Santa Catalina and Santa Teresa. Afterwards visit the colourful market of San Camilo and relax in the one of the cafes in La Compania.
  • Discover the relatively unknown Salinas y Aguada Banca Reserve, home to wild guanacos and vicuna. Then heard to the Salinas salt flat, a smaller version of the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia and home to Andean flamingos in the rainy season.
  • Unearth the origins of the sillar volcanic rock in the Culebrillas Canyon, where local masons still work the white stone. Discover petroglyphs which are over 1000 years old and are found in the quarry.
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  • We have travelled with TUTC six times, the most recent was to New Zealand last year. The trip was very well organised as usual, with excellent accommodation and a wide variety of experiences. We had booked to go to Australia with them this year but due to Covid this was cancelled, Ultimate handled the situation very professionally and promptly refunded the whole of our deposit without any quibble.

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    DN, August 2020