South & Central America
Highlights - Essential Info - Itineraries - History
- Arica
- Atacama Desert
- Easter Island
- Lauca National Park
- Santiago
- Skiing & Fishing
- The Lake District
- Tierra del Fuego
- Torres del Paine & Patagonia
- Vina del Mar & Valparaiso
- Vineyards & Wine Tours In The Central Valley
- Cruises in Patagonia
Arica
Known as the ‘City of the Everlasting Spring' on account of its generally mild climate throughout the year, Arica is Chile's northernmost city, situated just 19 kilometres south of the Peruvian border. It is a popular seaside resort for Chileans and Bolivians with a number of nice beaches.
There are some delightful olive orchards and fruit plantations in the Azapa Valley and the principal highlight is the Museo de Arqueologico (Archaeological Museum) which houses a fine collection of regional pre-Columbian artefacts and more importantly the Chinchorro mummies.
There are the mummified remains of a man, a woman and two children in the museum which are just a small part of almost one hundred mummies discovered in one site in 1983. The ancient practice of mummification used here is the oldest form known to the world with most of the mummies dating back two thousand years, but modern radiocabon dating has found this practice was being used as far back as 5000 BC, which is two millenia before the Egyptians first began using the mummification process.
Another interesting site is the hill of El Morro, which is Arica's most visible feature. This 110 metre high cliff signals the end of the coastal cordillera and offers fantastic views across the city and harbour. At the top of the hill is the Museo Historico y de Armas, which was built on top of a former Peruvian fortification and this was the scene of one of the battles of the War of the Pacific (1879-1884), one of the country's finest military victories.
You can also visit the central Plaza Colon, dominated by the beautiful Church of San Marcos. This delightful building was designed by none other than Gustave Eiffel and is made entirely from iron and was prefabricated in France before being erected in Arica in 1876. The Aduana (Customs House) is another Eiffel designed property and is a well proportioned building with a pink stone facade and is now used as a cultural centre for the arts.
Our preferred hotels are:
Hotel Arica
Hosteria Las Vicunas (Putre)
