Los Tambos Boutique

Framed by three volcanoes, the rooftop terrace at Hotel Los Tambos Boutique looks out over Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu against the pale stone skyline of Arequipa. The hotel sits half a block from the Plaza de Armas and a minute's walk from the Cathedral, set among the sillar-stone buildings of the historic centre. Rooms are simple. Brown tiled floors, large windows and white bedding give them a clean, modern feel, and each comes with cable television and Wi-Fi. Queen beds feature in some rooms, twins and singles in others. Breakfast is à la carte, served each morning in the Ruphai cafeteria with Andean dishes made to order rather than laid out on a buffet. A fireplace in the lounge gives guests somewhere to sit with coca tea after a day out. Reception staff arrange transfers to and from the airport, 20 minutes away, and can book two-day mountain biking trips or rafting on the Chili River. The Museum of Andean Sanctuaries and the Santa Catalina Monastery are both within easy walking distance. Restaurants and bars line the streets near the Plaza de Armas, open into the evening. The hotel runs on solar power, cutting its electricity draw from the grid.