Arica Day Trips: Top 5 Tours You Should Absolutely Experience
Arica, Chile, a spot sometimes named the “City of Eternal Spring,” boasts year-round sunshine and quite a captivating blend of desert landscapes, coastline views, and some fascinating historical sites. When visiting Arica, figuring out the many choices for day tours might be quite a task. That’s where we come in! We’ve compiled what are arguably the top five full-day tours to make sure your Arica experience is rather remarkable, truly.
1. Azapa Valley Geoglyphs Tour
The Azapa Valley, fairly near Arica, is home to some amazing geoglyphs—massive designs etched into the desert hillsides centuries ago. These aren’t just any pictures; they tell the story of the region’s past inhabitants. As a matter of fact a tour of the Azapa Valley often starts with a scenic drive, leading to viewpoints where you might just marvel at these impressive figures. Local guides tend to offer insights into the symbolism and techniques used to create these geoglyphs, truly offering some context to this outdoor art gallery.
Visiting the Azapa Valley, like your chance to actually walk among these historical artworks, is a really fascinating experience. One tourist recently told me, “Seeing the geoglyphs with my own eyes, hearing about the people who made them, was simply magical, almost!” Some tours go to the Museo Arqueológico San Miguel de Azapa, which basically displays artifacts discovered in the valley. All in all it’s an awesome tour for people fascinated by archaeology and culture, clearly.
2. Lauca National Park and Lake Chungará Tour
Lauca National Park, that is a good few hours from Arica, is home to Lake Chungará, one of the world’s highest lakes. Actually it’s considered breathtaking due to the views with towering volcanoes, vast plateaus, and unusual wildlife. Getting to Lauca, some tours start early, truly trying to beat the traffic. This pretty guarantees you will spend a great part of your day there.
Along the drive, some guides make sure to point out smaller, local towns and other natural places of interest. Then the altitude’s fairly high up there, so a slower pace usually helps everyone to adapt to the elevation changes, as a matter of fact. Anyway, keep a watch for vizcachas, Andean geese, and possibly even pumas as you take in all of Lake Chungará’s grandeur! So, in a way this tour’s for outdoor fans who love taking photos of scenery!
3. Arica City Tour and El Morro Historical Site
To truly experience the heart of Arica, the city tour plus El Morro is almost certainly your deal! That’s quite an intro to the city, basically. You’re able to learn a little of the background while seeing important places around Arica! A few highlights normally include visits to Plaza Colón, Arica’s main square with the famous Eiffel- the architect did design it you know!- and it’s quite unique Cathedral of San Marcos! Obviously they bring guests up El Morro!
El Morro is a coastal cliff. It’s like your ideal place to actually capture what are amazing scenic panoramas. Too it’s almost tied with serious history from War of the Pacific era, definitely. During your walk-around with local guides they share stories to just picture epic battles along that peak! All of that history will give one a look into the patriotic zeal for all parties throughout conflicts throughout ages. And so make sure that is added into vacation activities that happen here. This trip caters especially nicely just to both leisure folks AND historical enthusiasts and very simply offers thorough introduction in essence when coming through Chile’s Northern Gate.
4. Surfing Lessons at Playa Chinchorro
Arica is famed for good wave breaks, the reason why many water sport hobbyists seek out breaks up- and down-shore from this spot. Then, why take lesson in-between days here when they provide that kind’ve services there? First class guidance might include the best instruction including fundamentals such just positioning. But that ain’t nothing. It should also prepare about essential waters safety! With professional level instructors it helps by starting safe prior building one’s skills upwards until going at breaks comfortably as they wish- whether trying stand while taking first attempts through or already knowing more by starting as stand expert.
With the sun around with sand, learning in between lessons gets that easier.
In between breaks relax in what’s awesome ocean breezes on Playa Chinchorro between surfs or chill once they ended surfing days out! Several find here, it became favorite sport as new enjoyment. One just states; ”Initially afraid but afterwards they help become simple, as well joyful so too that. Cannot now dream taking place vacations sans surf from Arica from this vacation days. ” Thus surfing courses ideal, really something someone must include that likes water!
5. Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works Tour
Now venturing a way out outside of Arica just leads people across into a former world from which these once booming industry from northern Chile at their peak when “White Gold”—also know in terminology, like nitrate of soda made it really rather affluent here and through those. However once industry shifted afterwards and after new discoveries arose during decades these small areas gradually grew forgotten about until then these two landmarks, UNESCO preserved here became historic locations for future visitors .
Walk as someone would through from empty street corners there in-between abandoned infrastructure for the chance really, imagine lifestyle, one time once the industry drove here. See structures that had workers inside back prior like lodgings through workshops while understand journey of time as Chile evolved in time plus from resources during past centuries as tourists pass between there on these interesting day’s excursions nearby! Then one could start feel sense here plus see history during old eras on this unforgettable visits and all which surround in relation with locations nearby.