Shopping in Arequipa

If it is high-quality baby alpaca, vicuña, and woolen goods you are after, Arequipa is quite possibly the best spot in Peru to find export-quality sweaters, shawls, blankets, and scarves based on attractive designs not found elsewhere. Three general areas are particularly good for alpaca items. One is the cloisters next to La Compañía church, where you'll find several alpaca boutiques and outlets. Another good place is Pasaje Catedral, the pedestrian mall just behind the cathedral, and a third is Calle Santa Catalina, notably the Casona de Santa Catalina.

While you are able to find excellent antiques and colonial era objects in shops on Calle Santa Catalina, bear in mind that you cannot legally remove these antiques from the country.

A general handicrafts market (mercado de artesanía) with dozens of jam-packed stalls in the old town jail is next door to the Plazuela de San Francisco. For fine quality handmade leather goods, make your way along the Puente Bolognesi, which leads west from the Plaza de Armas, and you'll find numerous small stores with handbags, shoes, and other items. A particularly good store is that of Pedro P. Diaz on Calle Puente Bolognesi 135.

For Peruvians hailing from other regions, no visit to Arequipa is complete without a quick stop to the famous sweets shop: La Ibérica. Located just a few strides from the Plaza de Armas, on Calle Jerusalem, this high-quality shop has been making its trademark sweets for over 100 years. Here the sweet-toothed will find delectable chocolates, picture perfect bonbons, creamy toffees, and marzipan delights, among other treats.