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Monasterio de la Recoleta

📍 Monasterio de la Recoleta, Arequipa, Peru

1 photos

4.5/ 5.0

★★★★★

Quick Facts

Location: Peru, Arequipa
Category: Church & Religious Site
Duration: 1-2 hours including a guided tour
Ticket Price: Adult: S/15 · About S/15 for adults, sold at the door with no booking required; bring cash.
Address: Monasterio de la Recoleta, Arequipa, Peru
Coordinates: -16.4010, -71.5340

Introduction

The Monasterio de la Recoleta sits in the Selva Alegre district of northern Arequipa, Peru, about a ten-minute walk across the Grau Bridge. Founded in 1648 by the Discalced Franciscans, it is one of the city's most underrated cultural sites. Built of white volcanic sillar stone, its courtyards and arcaded cloisters are exceptionally peaceful beneath the Andes. Its greatest treasure is the library: about 20,000 volumes, several thousand of them 16th- and 17th-century incunabula, some unique in South America, still shelved in the original three-hundred-year-old cedar presses. The most celebrated item is the so-called 'Book of the Million' - a 16th-century edition of Marco Polo's travels with handwritten marginal notes whose author has never been identified, drawing book-history scholars from Europe. The monastery also holds colonial religious art together with pre-Columbian artefacts and mummies collected by Franciscan friars on their missions in the Amazon and the Andes between the 17th and 19th centuries - a collection with no equivalent in any public museum in Arequipa. Admission is about S/15, tours are led by friars or long-serving lay guides, and following a guide is strongly recommended: without them a visit loses most of its meaning.

✨ Highlights

A 20,000-volume library

About 20,000 volumes, several thousand of them 16th- and 17th-century incunabula, some unique in South America, in the original three-hundred-year-old cedar presses.

The 'Book of the Million'

A 16th-century edition of Marco Polo's travels with handwritten marginal notes of unidentified authorship, which draws book-history scholars from Europe.

Pre-Columbian mummies

Mummies and pre-Columbian artefacts gathered by Franciscan friars on their Amazonian and Andean missions - an ethnic and geographic diversity unmatched in any Arequipa public museum.

A monastery of 1648

Founded in 1648 by the Discalced Franciscans, built of white volcanic sillar, with multi-level arcades around a flower court and the Andes behind.

Friars as guides

Tours are led by friars or long-serving lay guides who know the collection intimately; without a guide the visit loses most of its meaning.

Bell tower and quiet

Crowd-free and unhurried, with a bell tower to climb for views over the city; arriving when the doors open often means having the cloisters to yourself.

🛈 Practical Info

→Do not miss the library：The 20,000 volumes are the main reason to come, and some of the incunabula are unique in South America. The library is generally entered with a guide on a fixed schedule, so confirm the day's tour times when you arrive.

→The guide matters：Tours are led by friars or long-serving lay guides who tell the story of the collection itself. Many visitors say the visit loses most of its meaning without a guide, so leave time for one.

→Best time to go：Arriving at opening (09:00) means the fewest people and often the cloisters to yourself; there is a break around midday with doors reopening at 15:00. The arcades stay cool even at midday.

→Around it：Combine it with the San Lazaro neighbourhood, viewpoints over El Misti and Santa Catalina Monastery. The monastery sits behind a plain sillar wall with no visible tourist signage, so navigate to Calle La Recoleta 117.

→Transportation：In the Selva Alegre district of northern Arequipa, about a ten-minute walk across the Grau Bridge, or a very short taxi ride from the centre. It pairs well with Santa Catalina Monastery and the Plaza de Armas in one day.

Ticket Information

Ticket Information
Adult	S/15

About S/15 for adults, sold at the door with no booking required; bring cash.

💡 Tips

• The 20,000-volume library is the main draw, and you generally need a guide to get into it.

• About S/15, sold at the door with no booking, but bring cash.

• Arrive at opening for the fewest people - the cloisters are often yours alone. There is a break at midday, reopening at 15:00.

• The friars and lay guides are excellent; follow the tour rather than wandering on your own.

• About ten minutes on foot across the Grau Bridge, and it pairs with Santa Catalina Monastery in one day.

• There is no visible signage on the wall - navigate to Calle La Recoleta 117.

FAQ

How much is the admission for Monasterio de la Recoleta?

Adult: S/15; About S/15 for adults, sold at the door with no booking required; bring cash.

Any practical tips for visiting Monasterio de la Recoleta?

The 20,000-volume library is the main draw, and you generally need a guide to get into it. About S/15, sold at the door with no booking, but bring cash.