Ruta del Sillar Arequipa

Description of the Sillar Route Arequipa

With the tour “Recorrido Ruta del Sillar Arequipa”, you can visit the AÑASHUAYCO VALLEY, which is located in the district of Uchumayo, and 15 minutes by car from the city tour Arequipa. The Quarries of Añashuayco, is the place where the emblematic sillar is extracted – the white volcanic stone that is used in the construction of colonial buildings in the city of Arequipa.

One of the most visited sectors of the Añashuayco adventure is the Sillar Rosado, a canyon that, thanks to the combination of sand, rock, ashlar and the effects of sunlight, denotes in its walls an impressive pink color. It is very narrow and crossing it is an experience worthy of Indiana Jones movies. Añashuayco has been declared Cultural Patrimony of the Nation six years ago and it is specially protected by the State, its walls of more than 30 meters high surround the deep ravine, which also presents a historical sample in the region of Arequipa. The main reason is that the Wari culture was responsible for building numerous petroglyphs in the area, which now represent the culture of man in contrast to nature.

Culebrillas is especially striking for its walls and stones with curvilinear shapes, thus molded over millions of years due to the erosion of rain and wind. The scenery is sensational and in the background you can glimpse the imposing dormant volcano of Chachani.

MAIN POINTS OF VISIT

• Arequipa (2,335 masl)
• Añashuayco Valley (2,120 masl)

Day 1: Arequipa – Añashuayco Valley – Arequipa

• 07.50 hrs We will pick you up at your hotel, in the circuit of the main square of Arequipa.
• 08.00 hrs We start our tour to the Sillar Route which is a tourist route with a lot of history and living culture, we visit quarries and areas where the sillar originated. We will make a stop at the Añashuayco Quarry, which we will reach in 45 minutes approx.
• At the moment it is in exploitation, the quarrymen make their work from very early; in the place we will be able to appreciate an immense canyon with cliffs (walls of ignimbrite) that have several meters of height, formed by the extraction for the formation of the ashlars. At this point we will tell you the history of the ashlar, the elaboration and the use that has always been given to it.
• In this quarry you will be able to appreciate a Megatallado of the Church of the Company of Jesus made by the stonemasons themselves. Also, we will have the opportunity to talk to the workers who perform this hard work and we can experience cutting one of their stone blocks.
• Afterwards, we will go to the Quebrada de Culebrillas, which is located 30 minutes away from Añashuayco. Arriving at this point we will make a walk of approximately 20 minutes inside the small canyon that was formed by the passage of water, which has walls of 15 to 20 meters, as we go into it the walls of the canyon are increasing in height.
• At the end of the walk we will be able to observe petroglyphs made by the Wari culture more than a thousand years ago. Before returning to the Arequipa city tour we will observe the Apachetas, stone formations placed one on top of the other that are a symbol of gratitude to nature.
• Return to the respective hotel.