Sillar Route Quarry Trek from Arequipa

Sillar, the white stone of Arequipa

Arequipa is known as the White City because its churches, mansions and monasteries are built of sillar, a light volcanic tuff formed when ancient eruptions of Chachani and nearby volcanoes buried the valley under hot ash. The ash cooled into soft, light rock that is easy to carve yet strong enough to resist earthquakes, which is why Spanish builders used it for the cathedral, the Santa Catalina Monastery and the elegant facades that earned the historic centre its UNESCO listing in 2000.

The Sillar Route links the quarries where this stone is still cut today. A Sillar Route tour shows the other side of the city you see in the Plaza de Armas: the canyons where the blocks come from, the families who cut them and the techniques that have barely changed in centuries. It is one of the most original half-day trips from Arequipa.

Añashuayco Quarry and the great carving

The Añashuayco quarry is a working site where stonemasons start very early, cutting blocks by hand with chisels, hammers and wedges. Decades of extraction have opened a long canyon with straight walls of white ignimbrite several metres high, marked with neat steps where each block was removed. The guide explains how sillar is cut, dried and shaped, and you can meet a stonemason and try to cut a piece of stone yourself.

The most famous sight is a huge relief carved into the quarry wall by the stonemasons themselves, copying the richly decorated facade of the Church of the Company of Jesus in Arequipa, alongside other carvings of local scenes. The stop lasts about 45 minutes, enough for photos and questions. An entry fee for the quarry is paid on site in local currency.

Quebrada de Culebrillas and the Wari petroglyphs

About 20 minutes away is the Quebrada de Culebrillas, a small canyon carved by water through the same volcanic rock. A walk of about 20 to 25 minutes leads inside, and as you go deeper the smooth walls rise to 15 or 20 metres, curving like the snake that gives the place its name. The path is mostly flat and sandy, with a few uneven steps.

At the end of the walk you find petroglyphs left by the Wari culture more than a thousand years ago, showing figures and animals scratched into the stone. They are a reminder that people travelled through these ravines long before the Spanish city was built. Culebrillas also charges a small entry fee on site. Wear closed shoes and bring water, as the canyon floor can be hot and dusty at midday.

Mirador de los Volcanes and the Apachetas

Before returning to Arequipa the van stops at the Mirador de los Volcanes, a high viewpoint over the dry plateau. On clear days you see the perfect cone of El Misti, about 5,800 metres high, the broad massif of Chachani and the jagged ridge of Pichu Pichu, the three volcanoes that frame the city. The guide shares stories about each one, and it is the best photo stop of the day.

Nearby stand the Apachetas, small stacks of stones placed one on top of another by travellers as a sign of gratitude to nature and a wish for good luck. Many visitors add a stone of their own. The return drive takes about 20 minutes, and the tour ends close to the Plaza de Armas around midday for the morning departure or late afternoon for the 2 pm departure.