Monasterio de Santa Catalina

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The Monasterio de Santa Catalina is the uncontested jewel in the city's crown of tourist attractions. Founded in 1579, it remained under a shroud of monastic silence until 1970, when it finally opened its doors to the public. A real little city within a city, it is a remnant of the colonial era right in the middle of modern-day Arequipa. Covering an area of 20,426 square metres, this walled-in enclosure has five streets (Granada, Sevilla, Córdoba, Málaga and Burgos) which lead to old chapels, the novices' rooms, three cloisters, the cemetery, the kitchens and various other buildings. The nuns who lived here devoted most of their waking hours to prayer and contemplation.