9:15 AM - We begin our tour of the Sillar Route, which is a tourist route with a lot of history and living culture, where we will visit quarries and areas where the sillar originated. First, we will cross a strategic point, with a brief stop at this emblematic place from where you can see the Volcanoes and the Chilina Valley. Depending on the time of year, we can start with another traditional viewpoint where you can see the volcanoes.
The next stop, now focusing on the Sillar Route, where we will stop is the Añashuayco Quarry; which we will reach in approximately 45 minutes. It is currently in operation, the stonemasons do their work very early; At the site, you can see a huge canyon with cliffs (ignimbrite walls) several metres high, formed by the extraction for the formation of the Sillares. At this point, we will tell you the history of the sillar, its production, and the use that has always been given to it. In this quarry, you can see a Mega carving of the Church of the Company of Jesus made by the stonemasons themselves. We can also visit one of them so that they can explain to us how their daily work is and make us experience cutting one of their stone blocks ourselves.
Next, we will move on to the Culebrillas Ravine, which is 30 minutes from Añashuayco. Upon arriving at this point, we will take a walk of approximately 20 minutes through the interior of the small canyon that was formed by the passage of water, which has walls of 15 to 20 metres. As we delve into it, the canyon walls increase in height. At the end of the walk, we will be able to see petroglyphs made by the Wari culture more than a thousand years ago. Before returning to the city, we will observe the Apachetas, which are stone formations placed one on top of the other that are a symbol of gratitude to nature and also an attraction of good luck that provoke a mystical feeling.
12:30 PM - We will begin the return trip to the city of Arequipa.
1:30 PM - We will arrive at the centre of Arequipa and drop you off near the Plaza de Armas.
NOTE: We also have the 2:00 PM shift in the afternoon.