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The beach in Arica, Chile
Author: Alexson Scheppa Peisino (public domain)
Arica is a town on the northern part of Chile, just 18 km from the border with Peru. The city is on the Pacific coast. It is a city with a good number of elegant 19th century buildings, including some designed by Gustave Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame.
Guide to Arica Hotels
Here's a list of hotels in Arica that you can book online, with full description, star rating, address, location map, evaluation, and prices as offered by different booking sites. This helps you to make your room booking with the site that offers the best price.
Catedral de San Marcos, Arica
Author: Heretiq (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)
More on Arica
Arica was founded in 1541 by Spanish captain Lucas Martinez de Begazo. It was originally called La Muy Ilustre y Real Ciudad San Marcos de Arica (The Very Illustrious and Royal City of Saint Mark of Arica). At that time the Atacama Desert, particularly the town of Potosí in Bolivia, was a major producer of silver, so much of the silver ore was being exported via Arica.The wealth of silver flowing out of Arica also attracted pirates and buccaneers for a share of the loot. At that time, pirating by non-Spanish ship captains often receive the approval of their government, and people like Francis Drake and Thomas Cavendish also had a hand in grabbing a share of the silver.
Ex-Aduana (Former Customs House) in Arica, Chile
Author: Till Niermann (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Today the days of silver mining is long gone, but Arica has successfully reinvented itself as a tourist destination in northern Chile. It has 20 km of excellent beaches, and the city itself has a number of attractions. The city also acts as the base for visiting tourist destinations in this part of the country.
Arica experiences a mild desert climate. It is in a region has receives almost no rain. The whole year may go through without a single rainy day. The warmest month is February, when the average high temperature reaches 26.7°C (80°F). The coldest months are June to August, when the average low temperature drops to 6.1°C (43°F).
Visiting Arica
Being on the far north, Arica is nearer to La Paz and Cochabamba in Bolivia. You can reach it from these two cities by bus. You can also cross the border from Tacna in Peru.
Monument of the War of the Pacific at the top of Morro de Arica
Author: Heretiq (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)
Places of Interest in Arica
- Catedral de San Marcos
Neo-Gothic cathedral designed by Gustav Eiffel, prefabricated in France and assembled in Arica in 1876. - Ex-Aduana
The Old Customs House, also designed by Gustav Eiffel, was also prefabricated in France and assembled in Arica in 1874. - Geoglyph Cerro Sagrado
The pre-Hispanic mosaic work on the hillside of Cerro Sagrado are created during the 15th century. - Morro de Arica
This is the 110-meter (360-ft) cliff that towers over Arica. This was where Chilean troops defeated the Peruvians and claimed the city of Arica in the War of the Pacific. - Museo Arqueológico San Miguel de Azapa
Arica's archaeology museum has an outstanding collection of artifacts, including some of the world's oldest mummies. - Museo Ferrocarriles
Railway museum housed in Arica's century-old railway station which once linked the city with La Paz, Bolizia. - Museo Histórico y de Armas
Museum at the top of Morro de Arica. It houses artifacts and displays relating to the war between Chile and Peru. There is also a monument to that effect. - Poblado Artesenal
This is the local crafts village. It's a good place to view the local handicrafts and perhaps pick up a souvenir or two. - Terminal Pesquero
Arica's Fishermen's Wharf is a place to view the fishing boats and families of sea lion.
Beaches of Arica
The four main beaches in Arica are Playa El Laucho, Playa La Lisera, Playa Chinchorro and Playa Las Machas. The first two are reasonably calm and are suitable for swimming. Playa Chinchorro has big waves. It has an amusement park as an alternative attraction. Playa Las Machas also has big waves and is popular with surfers.Tourist Destination around Arica
- Chungará Lake
Located at a height of 4,517 meters, this is the 10th highest lake in South America. - Pucará de Copaquilla
Pre-Hispanic site of stone walls located about 3,000 meters above sea level.
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