Tour Beaches of Arica

We will leave the hotel and start our tour through Arica, known for its ancient architecture. Thanks to its enjoyable climate, the city is a destination for thousands of tourists every year. We are going to visit one of the most valued National Monuments, the cathedral of San Marcos, which is located at a beautiful terrace facing the ocean. This architectonic opus designed by the Frenchman Gustavo Eiffel was built in the gothic neoclassic style.

Also we are going to visit another architectonical marvel, declared National Monument in 1977, the Ex-customs of Arica. From this historical building that was also constructed by the famous architect Gustavo Eiffel, you have a wonderful panoramic view over the Morro of Arica in all its resplendence. Nowadays, the Ex-customs contains the “House of the Culture of Arica” (Casa de la Cultura de Arica), and it results to be an attractive cultural center full of exhibitions and works of various artists.

Our tour continues to one of the marvels of the south coast of the city, the Ex-Island Alacran at the foot of the Morro. It was converted into a beautiful peninsula and declared National Monument on December 13th of 1985.  Our next stop is the beach Lisera, a lovely bay that is known for its beautiful surroundings and the best sand in the region since the 60s. Another beach we are going to visit and that will surprise you with its black sand is the beach Arenillas Negras, a beach unique in the area and famous for the exceptional dark color of its sand.  After enjoying this beautiful beaches and bays, you will get the opportunity to take in the view over the city from the impressive Morro of Arica. 

We continue our tour to the Terminal Asoagro. This typical market of Arica was created 19 years ago by its merchants and producers. On a walk through the alleys you can get to know the different kinds of fruits and vegetables that grow in the fertile valleys of the region (like the black olive of Azapa) and also the products that are imported from the neighboring countries. Afterwards, we continue to the prodigious Azapa Valley, which is popular for its enormous archaeological development with more than 10.000 years of history. Here you can find surprising geoglyphs like on the Cerro Sombrero (Hut Mountain) or the Geoglyphos de la Tropilla. The following stop will be the Cerro Sagrado (Holy Mountain), a hill that also presents geoglyphs of mythological figures. The viewing point Las Llosyas is the best place to observe these beautiful geoglyphs.

Afterward, we are going to visit the Archaeological Museum of San Miguel of Azapa which contains some of the most relevant patrimonial relicts of the archaeology in Chile: The most ancient mummies in the world that belong to the Chinchorro culture and are more than 10.000 years old. Finally, after getting to know the mystic that surrounds the fascinating city of Arica, appreciating its ancient architecture and the spectacular Chinchorro-culture we will return to your hotel.