Arica

Arica brings together city history and Chinchorro cultural heritage with coastal experiences, surfing and views from Morro de Arica. These different aspects give your trip a range of possible focuses: you might be interested in historic architecture and a three-day summer festival, or you might want to focus on the Morro, swimming destinations and surfing. When looking for a vacation rental in Arica, it’s worth first considering which of these experiences you want to shape your trip.

Chinchorro Heritage and Historic Architecture

Colón 10 is one of the two components of the UNESCO World Heritage property “Settlement and Artificial Mummification of the Chinchorro Culture” located in the city of Arica. The heritage property’s name brings together the settlement history and artificial mummification of the Chinchorro culture. In the historic quarter, you’ll also find several buildings dating from the colonial period. These include the Arica Provincial Government building, San Marcos Cathedral and the former Customs House. All three buildings were designed in the workshops of Gustav Eiffel.

There’s also a specific landmark to help you find your way around the city: the museum at Calle Cristóbal Colón No. 10 is in the historic center and is accessible by public or private land transport. If you’re particularly interested in history and architecture, you can make this a focus of your trip planning. The museum, Colón 10 as part of the UNESCO World Heritage property, and the buildings mentioned above offer different ways to connect with Arica’s cultural heritage.

Festival and City Life

Carnaval con la Fuerza del Sol is a three-day summer festival in Arica. It brings together more than 16,000 dancers and musicians. Participants include people from Arica, Peru, Bolivia and throughout northern Chile. The large turnout and the participants’ origins give the festival a distinctive regional character: it brings together contributions from the city, neighboring countries and northern Chile. If you’d like to include Carnaval in your trip, its status as a summer festival is a helpful point of reference when considering when to travel.

Morro de Arica: Heritage and Views

South of the city lies Morro de Arica, one of Arica’s most representative cultural heritage symbols. From its summit, you can enjoy panoramic views of the bay and coastline. The Morro thus combines a cultural connection with views of the landscape around the city. As you plan your trip, you can consider whether you’d like to discover Arica mainly through its history, its coast or both perspectives.

Paragliding is also associated with the Morro, offering an aerial view of the city. This differs from the view from the summit, which takes in the bay and coastline. If you’re interested in experiences like these, the Morro is a distinct point of interest alongside the historic buildings and the festival.

Coast, Swimming Destinations and Surfing

Along Playa Chinchorro, there are schools where visitors can rent equipment and learn to surf. This makes the beach a specific point of reference for travelers interested in trying surfing. El Gringo, by contrast, is described as a well-known surf break. It has hosted international competitions and has attracted surfers such as Kelly Slater and Pierre Louis Coste. The two surfing experiences are different: Playa Chinchorro is associated with lessons and equipment rental, while El Gringo is known for its competitions and notable surfers.

Las Machas is cited as one of Arica’s main swimming destinations and is associated with sunbathing and surfing. Isla Alacrán also features in an overview of Arica’s main swimming destinations, alongside other coastal spots. When planning, you can therefore distinguish between cultural experiences, views from the Morro, and interests in the beach or surfing, without assuming that these different themes all involve the same travel experience.

For a broader travel overview: Arica and Parinacota Region.