Cirqa feels like a meditation. Whether you practise meditation or not, once you step through this hotel’s threshold, you’re instantly whisked into a universe of calm and consideration.
Perhaps it’s the soothing aroma of palo santo that wafts down the corridor at the entrance, perhaps it’s the gentle and heartfelt welcomes uttered by the staff, but stepping into Cirqa is a step towards the ethereal. Once a 16th-century monastery, Cirqa has evolved over the years (its story is presented on considered posters that guests can read as they wander along the main corridor) and today Cirqa is a Relais & Châteaux property with 11 rooms.
Treats that tell the tale of Arequipa await you in your room, including chocolates from La Ibérica, Peru’s favourite traditional chocolate shop and salted snacks adored by the Andean world, such as Inca corn and peanuts.
Light, and occasionally the lack of it, plays a magical role in Cirqa’s setting too. The darker, shadowed corridors and crannies are punctuated by warming candlelight in the evenings and this starkly contrasts with the bright, Andean sunlight that plummets from the blue skies during the day.
At night, the main courtyard is lit by fire and guests can lounge on wooden seats adorned by sheepskins. By day, the courtyard is protected from the penetrating sunlight by jute drapes, carefully positioned to provide protective shade. There’s a small pool tucked in one courtyard for those wishing to cool off during the day. The rooftop terrace is the setting for daily afternoon tea and biscuits should you wish, which feels more like lounging in a luxurious tented camp than an urban hotel, such is the tranquillity it oozes.
And the food. Without spoiling the surprise of what awaits on the menu, Cirqa’s curation is an ode to Arequipa’s reputation as a gastronomic powerhouse that honours local ingredients and ancestral recipes. Prawns from flowing Andean rivers, beef tenderloin with buttered Peruvian chillies and stuffed Arequipan peppers (with both a meat and a vegetarian option) adorn the menu. Accompanying tipples can include anything from Pisco-infused cocktails to wines and fresh fruit juices.
The problem with Cirqa is that it’s in a beautiful city with many sights to see but it’s such an exceptional property that sometimes it’s difficult to motivate yourself to leave its calming walls. But do venture beyond them to experience the gleam of The White City’s volcanic sillar rock architecture and historic, cultural and literary points of interest. You can amble around the city cloaked in the ever-present comfort that you can return to Cirqa and re-enter your meditative state later in the day.
