Arequipa is Peru’s second city with just under 1 million inhabitants. It is nicknamed the White City because it is almost completely built out of a white volcano stone called sillar.
Most come to Arequipa as the base for treks to Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world.
The White City is also one of the few Peruvian cities outside of Lima which has a gay scene, albeit very small, with a handful of bars and gay owned businesses worth checking out.
The gay scene in Arequipa is not as big as the gay nightlife of Lima but it has a few gay hangouts. The city is easy to navigate with most of the restaurants and bars located around the central Plaza de Armas.
Gay Arequipa is small but there are a few fun places worth checking out:
Imperio / Freetown Disco / Open Mind: the main and only gay club in Arequipa. It has 3 different names, (Imperio, Freetown or Open Mind) but most refer to it as just Imperio. It’s the place to come on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday evening after 11pm with drag shows and themed nights like Sailor Night. It goes on till late, closing at 6am. Imperio is located at Calle Jerusalén 201i, just a few blocks from Plaza de Armas.
By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys
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We made it! A magical memory from our Nomadic Boys journey we will share forever. This was what was going through our minds, whilst sat atop Wayna Picchu mountain, peering down at the Inca world wonder beneath us.
After an intense 4 days trek along the acclaimed Inca Trail through the Sacred Valley in the Peruvian Andes, we finally reached the climax point. This is our Inca Trail review of our 4 days trek to Machu Picchu with Journeyou.
Machu Picchu is the highlight of most people’s itineraries to not only Peru, but also to the entire continent. It receives over 1.2 million visitors annually, most of who come by train as part of a day trip from Cusco.
The famous Inca site is 2,430 metres (7,970 feet) above sea level. The name Machu Picchu means old mountain in the Quechua language and was initially built in around 1450 at the climax of the Inca Empire. It was then abandoned in 1572 when the Spanish invaded, until 1911 when it was discovered by the American explorer Hiram Bingham.
“Stefan look: it’s Cusco gay pride – rainbow flags everywhere!!!”
Seby wasn’t wrong. One of the first things you notice arriving in Cusco are all the Inca rainbow-like flags flying proudly all across the city. But to Seb’s disappointment, it has nothing to do with the LGBT community. This is the Inca flag, which has an extra blue stripe added.
Cusco is famous for being the historic capital of the Inca Empire from the 1200s until the mid 1500s when the Spanish invaded. It’s now Peru’s most popular draw, with 2 million visitors every year. It’s a must on everyone’s Latin America itinerary as well the base to visit Machu Picchu.
This is our gay travel guide to Cusco including gay friendly places to stay, gay bars, hangouts and things to do.
CUSCO GAY MAP
Although Cusco is a small city, it has a handful of gay hangouts, especially around the central Plaza de Armas square and in the San Blas neighbourhood.
Foodies love Lima and we sure love her back. Just as Penang is the foodie capital of Asia, Peru’s capital city is famous throughout Latin America as the melting point of many different cuisines.
Lima is also a pretty sweet base for gay travellers. There are around 9 million people living here. That’s statistically almost 1 million gay boys waiting to have a few Pisco sours with you.
GAY MAP OF LIMA
Miraflores and Barranco are the main touristy areas of Lima, where the best restaurants and the majority of the Lima gay scene are based. The other two areas you will want to take note of are San Isidro (the business district), conveniently located close to the airport and the Centro Historico (or Downtown Lima), where you find the majority of the museums and sightseeing attractions.
“A man who rides Peruvian paso horses is referred to as a “chalan” – not to be confused with a “chalon” – that’s Peruvian gay slang for a guy with a huge dick!”
Our Peruvian buddy Aaron from Lima is always keen to show off the highlights of his country.
Tourism in gay Peru has exploded over the past decade and alongside this, it has been one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Peru has historically been a very conservative society and quite hostile to its LGBT community.
For example, there are no laws in place for gay couples to enter into civil unions, let alone gay marriage. On top of that, laws meant to protect public morals are often used against gays and lesbians: a protest called Kisses Against Homophobia over the Valentine’s weekend in 2016 was brutally and violently interrupted by the police showing the government’s lack of progress in protecting its LGBT Peruvians.
However, fast forward a year and there is hope for change. More Peruvian politicians are slowly coming out to support the LGBT community. The Civil Union bill was reintroduced into Congress in late November 2016 with strong backing from President Kuczynski.
Then in January 2017, the same President issued a decree prohibiting all forms of discrimination and hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Very slowly, Peru is evolving and getting ready to take her place in the pink limelight.
Pisco Sour is the national drink of Peru and one of our all time favourite cocktails. It’s a mix of Pisco (a grape brandy), lime juice, egg whites and sweetened with syrup.
The famous Peruvian Pisco Sour was invented in the early 1920s at Morris Bar in Lima by its owner, Victor Vaughen Morris who came up with the idea of adding Angostura bitters and egg whites to Pisco.
Morris Bar used to be located at 847 Calle Boza but it closed down after Victor passed away in 1929.
Pisco Sour has become an institution in Peru and in 2003 it got its own official government holiday: Día Nacional del Pisco Sour (National Pisco Sour Day) is celebrated on the first Saturday of February.
In Lima, we met local boy Aaron, who also goes by the nickname The Pisco King. Aaron sat us down and showed us his recipe for making the perfect Peruvian Pisco Sour cocktail…
Peru has been on my mind lately – a friend of mine asked me to join her on a trip to Peru in September, and had I not already committed to another trip, I would’ve jumped at the chance of joining her. My last trip to Peru ended abruptly, and I have been itching to return ever since I left Cuzco two and a half years ago. After finishing the 5-day Salkantay trek through the Andes to get to Machu Picchu, I’ve been keen on doing some other multi-day treks in Peru: the Cordillera Blanca mountain range around Huarez in the north of the country is supposed to be stunning, and I have no doubt that I’ll love Colca Canyon near Arequipa in the south.
And then there is the mystical oasis town of Huacachina in the midst of mighty sand dunes, the Islas Ballestas which are a wildlife lover’s dream, but I’d also love to return to Cuzco to see more of the Inca ruins around there (Machu Picchu is just one of many more) and to delve more in the city’s amazing food scene, and then there’s Lima, where people also rave about the fantastic restaurant scene and trendy neighborhoods like San Isidro, Barranco or Miraflores.
Peru’s breathtakingly beautiful and diverse landscapes have gotten a lot of praise from travel publications and travelers for a long time now, but it is Peruvian food whose popularity has increased notably over the past few years – which is why I am excited to share the giveaway below, for a culinary trip to Peru (click here to enter if you can’t wait).
It seems like every major city around the globe has at least one Peruvian restaurant these day, and Britain’s Guardian newspaper even ran an article a while back about how Peruvian food has captured food lovers’ hearts in England, quoting gourmet chef Alain Ducasse: ‘Peru will become one of the leading actors on the global culinary scene.’