Sea Museum, Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile

4Myo M 5:00 PM Jun 22, 2019

Small but "plenty to see" :)
To see at this museum despite its small size (consisting of exactly one room of a pretty moderate size) is a "fairly sizeable" collection of a variety of seashells (in various colors, shapes & sizes and from various parts of the world) which are also "nicely organized" on multiple shelves in glass display cases where there apart from the seashells are also sea creatures such as crabs, seahorses & star fish in their dried forms. And, it was also kind of interesting to see here some postage stamps featuring seashells & a life-sized woman figure "dressed in seashells" (really quite a brilliant creation which I would say is kind of "uniquely appropriate" for this museum!). So yes, it's quite a bit worthwhile to make a brief stop at this small museum while in downtown with plenty to do just within a 5-minute-or-so walk from here: the quite extensive "shopping area" of a number of streets lined with all kinds of shops, the lovely white-and-brown San Marcos Cathedral, the small mummy museum with a number of those (not too many though) to see under a glass floor & yes the town's "must site" which is the hill Morro de Arica with a spacious hilltop above (where there are a big Chilean flag, a nice military museum & a fairly-sizeable Christ statue).

4AussiePD 5:00 PM May 8, 2016

Only small but very interesting, well worth a visit
The exterior is quite attractive tucked away in the side street and when you walk inside the first instinct may well be to turn around and exit as the museum consists of just one room. Resist that urge and you will not be sorry. The displays are packed with interesting exhibits that include a large range of sea creatures, shells of all shapes sizes many of vivid colours. These represent every continent and many islands around the world. We are not Spanish speakers and but while there we showed some interest in a man explaining, in Spanish, one of the exhibits. He then spent some time taking us around each cabinet given detailed explanations of many of the exhibits. between our limited understand of Spanish and the translation by the daughter of the owner we enjoyed a hour in the museum. Would recommend.