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Santa Catalina Monastery Arequipa is one of Peru’s most beautiful colonial sites, a walled “city within a city” built from white and red volcanic stone in the historic center of the White City.
Behind its thick walls you’ll find narrow streets, painted courtyards and cloisters that still house a small community of Dominican nuns today.
Santa Catalina Monastery (Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Siena) sits in the heart of Arequipa’s historic center, a UNESCO-listed area known for its white volcanic stone architecture.
Address: Calle Santa Catalina 301, Cercado de Arequipa, Peru.
The monastery occupies an entire city block, so you’ll recognize it by its high sillar walls and the steady flow of visitors near the main entrance.
From Arequipa’s Plaza de Armas, it’s an easy 5–8 minute walk (about 400–600 m) along safe, busy streets in the historic center.
Nearby landmarks you can combine with your visit:
Because everything is so close, Santa Catalina works perfectly as a morning or late-afternoon stop in a walking loop of the historic center.
Santa Catalina Monastery was founded in 1579 after Viceroy Francisco de Toledo granted permission to create a convent for Dominican nuns in the growing city of Arequipa.
A wealthy widow, Doña María de Guzmán, donated her fortune and entered the new monastery herself, becoming the first resident and prioress. Life here was reserved for women from Spanish upper-class families who paid large dowries to enter and then lived under strict cloistered rules.
Over the centuries, earthquakes damaged various parts of the complex, but each time it was rebuilt using the same volcanic stone that defines Arequipa’s architecture. The monastery remained completely closed to the public until the 20th century, when most of the complex opened as a museum while a small community of nuns stayed in a restricted area.
Today, Santa Catalina is both an active religious site and a living museum that shows how these women lived, prayed and worked over 400 years.
Santa Catalina is famous for its layout: it truly feels like a small Spanish town inside Arequipa. Cobblestone streets, plazas, fountains and vividly painted walls create distinct “neighborhoods” within the monastery.
Key architectural features:
Because of this unique mix of European and local techniques, Santa Catalina forms part of the same historic center that has World Heritage status.
You can explore on your own using the clear signposts, or hire one of the multilingual guides at the entrance (Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Japanese).
Marked by a rubber tree at its entrance, this was an area where nuns were required to swear a vow of silence and dedicate their lives to prayer and work. Nuns served as novices for 4 years, whereby their families had to pay a dowry of 100 gold coins per year. At the end of the 4 years, the novice could choose between entering into a full life of service or to leave the convent (bringing shame upon her family).
This was where nuns went after they graduated from novice. This cloister earned its name from the cluster of orange trees at its centre. Found in this area is the Profundis Room – A room where deceased nuns are mourned and their portraits line the walls. As you leave the orange cloister, down Córdova street, cells that served as living quarters for the nuns can be found. The cafe can also be found while leaving the orange cloister, serving fresh pastries and coffees.
The Great Cloister is bordered by the main chapel and the art gallery (pinacoteca). The building is shaped like a cross and decorated with religious murals of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. The gallery holds hundreds of restored works that show centuries of religious art in southern Peru.
Even if you’re not an art expert, it’s worth walking through to see the mix of European and Andean styles.
Opening times and prices change occasionally, especially around holidays, so think of the details below as guidelines and always confirm on recent official sources before you visit.
Guided tours inside the monastery normally cost about S/ 20 on top of your ticket and last around 2 hours.
If you’re staying near the Plaza de Armas or in the historic center, walking is the easiest and nicest way to reach Santa Catalina. Simply follow the grid of streets north-west from the plaza and you’ll reach Calle Santa Catalina in a few minutes.
The route is busy during the day, with plenty of people, shops and cafés, so it feels comfortable for most travelers.
If you’re staying a bit further out, you can take:
Ask to be dropped at “Monasterio de Santa Catalina, Calle Santa Catalina 301, Cercado.” Most drivers know it immediately. At the end of your visit, you can walk back through the center or order a taxi from just outside the main entrance—avoid accepting rides from people without visible ID or license.
If you’re planning the overland journey to Arequipa, see our Arequipa bus travel guide with routes from Lima, Cusco and Puno.
If you want to see how Santa Catalina fits into a full itinerary, our Arequipa info page shows how to combine it with viewpoints, museums and nearby day trips.
Yes. Most of the complex is open as a museum, but a small part remains cloistered and is still home to a community of Dominican nuns. Visitors only walk through the museum area; the living quarters of the nuns are closed to the public.
Yes, on certain days the monastery offers special evening openings often called “Santa Catalina at Night”. Selected cloisters and streets are illuminated, creating a very atmospheric way to experience the architecture. These night visits run on specific weekdays and hours that may change across the year, so be sure to verify current dates and times in advance.
You can visit Santa Catalina Monastery either with a guide or on your own. Hiring a guide at the entrance is recommended if you want stories about life in the convent, the art and the history, and tours usually last about two hours. Independent travelers who prefer to move at their own pace can follow the clear signs and maps around the complex.
The monastery often opens on many holidays but may operate with reduced hours or special schedules during major dates such as Christmas, New Year or Easter. If you are traveling during a big holiday period, plan to double-check opening times locally a day or two before your visit.
Yes, Santa Catalina Monastery can be an interesting visit for children who enjoy exploring courtyards, gardens and narrow streets. However, some areas require calm behavior and quiet voices out of respect for the religious nature of the site. Families should also be aware of uneven cobblestones and stairs, and keep an eye on young children in the higher or narrower sections.
