Massage in Arequipa, Peru: I recommend La Hosteria

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Surprisingly, there are not many places to get a massage in Arequipa. In Cusco, you can’t walk one block without being propositioned for massage (of varying quality), but in Arequipa, there are only a few places that offer massage and they’re mostly expensive hotels with US prices for massages.

I recommend that you try la Hosteria in Arequipa if you’re looking for a good, moderately priced massage ($35USD). They're just a few blocks away from the main square. It’s a pain to schedule if you aren’t staying at the hotel because you have to go in person to pay for it before they’ll reserve a time for you (calling doesn’t work). The cost includes an hour soak in their Roman Bath (think big hot tub) which gets you nice and ready for your massage! Their Roman Bath was all booked up when we went, so they took 5USD off of the price. They did try to upsell us on the deep tissue massage ($5 more), but the regular massage was fine. Plus, they take credit cards.

The massage was good, with nice pressure and skill. They have a room with two massage tables, so you can go with someone else. The only negative was the room was a bit cold (we found all of Arequipa to be this way – it’s cold outside but even nice hotels don’t have heating systems!).
  
I also tried massage at Abigail Spa. She’s very highly rated on Tripadvisor (one of the few that is rated), and although I found the masseuse enthusiastic, I didn’t find it skilled. This costs 70 soles for an hour and is located in small makeshift rooms at the back of a salon. They take credit cards with a surcharge.

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