Patahuasi

Arequipa & Canyon Country


The only civilization between Arequipa and Chivay, save for a few scattered farmsteads, is this fork in the road that acts as a kind of truck/bus stop and fill-up point (buses head southeast for Puno every hour). A few snack shacks pepper the scruffy byway while a kilometer or so beyond the Puno turning you’ll run into El Chinito, the favored breakfast stop for early-morning tour buses. Next door to the restaurant sit various handicraft stores.

Close by and accessible via a short off-piste drive is the Bosque de Piedras, a surreal collection of mushroom-like stones eroded by the wind that stand sentinel over the Río Sumbay.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Arequipa & Canyon Country attractions

2. Pampa de Toccra

15.76 MILES

This high plain that lies between El Misti/Chachani and the Colca Canyon has an average height of around 4300m and supports plentiful bird and animal life…

3. Paso de Patopampa

23.4 MILES

The highest point on the road between Arequipa and Chivay is this almost lifeless pass which, at 4910m, is significantly higher than Europe’s Mt Blanc and…

4. Yanahuara

25.17 MILES

This tranquil neighborhood makes for a pleasant, walkable excursion, with a mirador (lookout) as its centerpiece providing excellent views of Arequipa and…

5. Iglesia San Juan Bautista

25.19 MILES

This small church in Yanahuara dates from 1750. The highly venerated Virgen de Chapi was moved here after the 2001 earthquake destroyed the church it was…

6. Museo Histórico Municipal

25.49 MILES

The historical trajectory of both Arequipa and Peru is showcased in this educational, if unexciting, museum, split into different rooms dedicated to…

7. Iglesia de San Francisco

25.5 MILES

Originally built in the 16th century, this church has been badly damaged by several earthquakes. It still stands in its sillar (white volcanic rock)-brick…

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      "url": "peru/reserva-nacional-salinas-y-aguada-blanca/attractions/patahuasi/a/poi-sig/1408181/1327064",
      "destination": "Arequipa-&-Canyon-Country",
      "continent": "South-America",
      "country": "Peru",
      "region": "Arequipa-&-Canyon-Country",
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