Historic Centre of Arequipa hosts parade on 25 September
Published on 09/27/2026 at 12:24 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Historic Centre of Arequipa hosted a tourism parade for World Tourism Day on 25 September 2026, with the programme naming Plaza España as its venue. The event took place in Centro Histórico de Arequipa, where public institutions and private organisations joined the city’s tourism programme.
The date fell two days before World Tourism Day on 27 September and inside a wider September programme designed to promote travel in Arequipa, Peru.
Tourism parade brought a September event to Plaza España
The parade was listed as Pasacalle por el Día Mundial del Turismo in the published schedule for Arequipa’s Tourism Month. The programme placed it at Plaza España on 25 September 2026, while local reporting described institutions taking part in a parade through the historic centre.
A report by the September tourism programme also listed a 25 September event at Plaza España. Correo reported on the same day that institutions had held a tourism parade in the historic centre, with public and private organisations involved.
The parade was one item in a larger schedule that also included activities at the Plaza de Armas, the Teatro Municipal and other locations in and around Arequipa. For visitors, the dated event provided a public cultural programme within the World Heritage area rather than a new permanent attraction.
Historic Centre of Arequipa links the parade to a World Heritage setting
UNESCO describes the historic centre as a town built mainly from white or pink volcanic sillar, a local volcanic stone. Its architecture combines European and native construction traditions, with robust walls, arches, vaults, courtyards and elaborate Baroque decoration.
Arequipa was founded in 1540, and the World Heritage property includes 49 blocks from the original Spanish layout, alongside 24 blocks from the colonial period and the nineteenth century. The Plaza de Armas forms the urban core, with the cathedral, municipal buildings and arcades around it.
The setting gives the September parade a specific heritage context: Plaza España lies within a centre whose public squares and streets connect religious buildings, civic spaces and historic houses. UNESCO also identifies La Compañía’s church and cloisters as a representative late-eighteenth-century Baroque mestizo ensemble, while Santa Catalina and San Francisco form other named parts of the protected area.
The site covers 166.52 hectares and is managed in its public areas by the Provincial Municipality of Arequipa. Its World Heritage status and architectural character are set out in UNESCO’s site description.
Visiting Historic Centre of Arequipa: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The tourism parade took place on 25 September 2026 at Plaza España, within the historic centre’s September Tourism Month programme.
- The event was a public parade involving institutions, and the programme did not announce a closure of the cathedral, Plaza de Armas or other named heritage buildings.
- Historic Centre of Arequipa is in Arequipa, Peru. The Plaza de Armas is the central reference point, with Plaza España and the named historic streets and buildings forming part of the urban heritage area.
- Visitors encounter streets, squares, arcades, courtyards, vaults and buildings made largely from volcanic sillar. UNESCO describes the protected area as a historic urban compound rather than a single enclosed monument.
- The official language is Spanish and the national currency is the Peruvian sol.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Historic Centre of Arequipa
When did the tourism parade take place at Historic Centre of Arequipa?
The parade for World Tourism Day took place on 25 September 2026 at Plaza España in Arequipa’s historic centre.
What is Historic Centre of Arequipa?
It is a UNESCO World Heritage urban area built largely from volcanic sillar, founded in 1540 and centred on the Plaza de Armas.
Where is Historic Centre of Arequipa and how do you get there?
The site is in Arequipa, Peru. Plaza de Armas is the main urban reference point for the protected centre, which includes streets, squares, religious buildings and historic houses.
