Things to do & places to visit in Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile

Arica and Parinacota Region #14 destination in Chile 2023. The average rating score is 4.37 based on 6.352 traveler reviews, of 50 attractions. Timezone: America/Santiago, current date and time: Saturday, May 04, 2024, 19:39.

Top things to do (38)

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Mayuru Tour (164 reviews)
- Amazing trip in the Chilean highlands
Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Sightseeing Tours

The 2 days tour was amazing, we learnt a lot about Chilean culture and history thanks to our guide. Our driver was very nice and experienced. We felt safe on despite the many crashed cars on the road. The selected restaurant were good, and the hotel in Putre was very nice as well. We saw many beautiful landscape and wild animals. We ended the tour with a dip in the thermal springs, that was an amazing experience. See more..
5.0 Sea Museum (83 reviews)
- Jewels of shell life in sea
Saturday: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums

The Arica Sea Museum show some of the thousand of marvelous creatures and fossils from the sea, through the personal collection of professor Mr. Nicolás Hrepic, who gathered all kind of seashells and fossils from all around the globe since the 1960's decade. See more..
5.0 Parinacota Volcano (81 reviews)
- Great volcano, but can be hidden by its own clouds
Volcanos

This is a dormant cone volcano reaching just under 6350m, and has a continuously snow covered top. A great sight, but note that certainly in summer, it is often partially or completely hidden by clouds and rain. If you stay multiple days, you are more likely to have a good view of its near perfect cone shape. Rains are starting earlier and are heavier in recent years in the altiplano, best time to go is November and December. There are several viewing points, the most famous is obviously with lago Chungara in front. See more..
5.0 Suri Plaza (28 reviews)
- Remote and beautiful
Mountains • Nature & Wildlife Areas

If remote beauty is what you are looking for, this is the place. It does take a bit of a drive from Putre to get here, but it is well worth it. For some reason the mountain here is of a different color than all the rest, giving it a surreal feel. The changes are also apparent in the road which becomes a clay like material and very slippery when wet. On dry day this is easily done by a regular car, though. On the way there you will pass through a pastures with herds of llama and alpacas. Also, once you turn onto the side road that leads up the mountain, keep your eye open for Suris, an emu like flightless bird. We saw a couple in this remote area. See more..
5.0 Tour Andino (16 reviews)
- Amazing tour with perfect guide
Sightseeing Tours

We did two tours with Tour Andino: to Salar de Surir and to Parque Nacional Lauca. The tours are small, very relaxed and adjustable to your wishes. Justino speaks English really well and knows a lot about the area and the wildlife. He is very relaxed and will never hurry you when you are enjoying a place or taking pictures. He also knows all the best places and takes you to places with little tourists (or in the case of Salar de Surir: no other tourists). Best tour we've been on in a long time! See more..
5.0 Putre York Adventure (11 reviews)
- Wonderful tour in Northern Chile
Multi-day Tours • Cultural Tours • Eco Tours • Nature & Wildlife Tours

My husband and I have just completed the Route of the Volcanos (from Arica to Iquique) with Pablo, the owner of Putre York. This tour delivered everything that was promised (amazing panoramas and diverse wildlife) and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to others who want to experience the Chilean Altiplanos. Pablo is a very experienced guide with a huge amount of local knowledge. We speak very little Spanish but Pablo’s English (sometimes with the help of Google Translate) was good enough that this didn’t prevent him from ensuring we were fully informed throughout the tour. And we enjoyed his company throughout. We felt like we had the region to ourselves, only seeing a couple of other travellers for the whole duration. Putre York is a small company. Bookings are best made by email or WhatsApp and you need to be patient as it maybe that Pablo is offline up in the highlands somewhere. But he will respond and once our booking was made he was happy to answer questions about the trip. See more..
5.0 Pueblo de Socoroma (7 reviews)
- Beautiful small village.
Spent 1-2 hours Neighborhoods

Time seems to have stood still here. Coming from the Altiplano, not very far from Putre, this beautifull agricultural village is entered by a small road leadung along oregano plantations and huge Eucalyptus trees. In the center a square, very well maintained and flowering year round, some Tumbo fruit trees and a nicely restored, typical Altiplano colonial church. Must see. See more..
5.0 Winay Marka (1 review)
- Lovely shop lovely owner
Speciality & Gift Shops

There are many shops in Chile selling hand-made textiles, a lot of them importing items from other places claiming that they are made local (which they are not). That is not necessarily a problem were the textiles and the wool of good quality - but this also often is not the case. So it was a lovely surprise to find Julia Ramirez's shop selling the 'real deal'. She learnt to weave from her grandmother and carries forth the tradition. The first impressions of the shop may be a bit chaotic, but for example, get her to take out antique blankets tucked away in the corner and you're in for a treat. Beautiful colours and motives. Also her own hand-woven shawls and poncho's are beautiful. I could not resist and bought two exquisite blankets, plenty of signs of wear and tear, but so much the better for it.... See more..
5.0 Volcan Taapaca (1 review)
Volcanos
See more..
4.5 Morro de Arica (1.427 reviews)
- Fabtetric Day
Monuments & Statues

This national monument is an enormous rock, standing 110 meters high and paying tribute to the Chilean military victories in the 19th Century Pacific War. See more..
4.5 Museo Arqueologico San Miguel de Azapa (495 reviews)
- Museo San Miguel de Azapa
Speciality Museums

I really enjoyed this museum, The layout was good, plenty of space in between the exhibits. Learning about the mummification process of the Chinchurros was very good, plus the overall quality of the museum items was first rate! It was sad to see some of the mummified babies and small children. Pretty easy to get to the museum if you go to the front of the International bus station, there are Collectivos for 1900 pesos that drop you off at the front gate. See more..
4.5 Lago Chungara (385 reviews)
- Amazing trip, unforgettable views!
Bodies of Water

Perfect organized full day trip from the center of Iquique, through Valle de Azapa, Poconchile until wonderful Lauca National Park and Chungará Lake. Freddie François was our tour guide, full of energy and a lot of humor! He taught us regional song and dance. Told the histories about important places on the way. There were stops to acclimatize, where we saw the local flora and fauna. Ended up with tasty lunch in Putre. Highly recommend! See more..
4.5 Parque Nacional Lauca (352 reviews)
- Lauca National Park
National Parks

This national park is home to vicuna, alpaca, wild chinchilla and many other indigenous Chilean animal species. See more..
4.5 El Laucho Beach (331 reviews)
- laucho
Beaches

great beach in the desert , warm waters in a peerless and different environment , calm waters and uncrowded, by locual the ruckus is best at the foot of the hill See more..
4.5 Museo Momias Chinchorro (286 reviews)
- Impresiv long and old history
Speciality Museums

Impresiv long and old human history "This is a well designed modern museum set in an oasis-like park. It covers the prehistory of northern Chile with special exhibits of the Chinchorro culture (8,000-6,000 BC). The dryness of the desert has preserved organic artifacts such as cloth, baskets, wood tools etc. and examples are displayed. All text is in Spanish. Worth the time if you are at all interested in prehistory. Caution-exhibits include human remains." See more..
4.5 Cuevas de Anzota (209 reviews)
- Nice walk and Peruvian Booby colony
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 7:30 PM Spent < 1 hour Caverns & Caves

A bit of a drive to get there but once you get there, and get use to wearing the hard hats, it is a very nice walk along the coast. You go through some caves and we saw lots of Peruvian Booby birds come and go to the colony. Lots of other birds and wildlife to watch as well. See more..
4.5 Museo De Sitio Colon 10 (135 reviews)
- A cemetery with a glass ceiling (for the dead)
Speciality Museums

Upon excavating the grounds for a new hotel, the undertakers stumbled on innumerable skeletons, and the University of Taracapa, guardians and caretakers of the Chinchorro mummies was able to stop construction and purchase the site. The skeletal remains have been left to rest in their original place and position. A glass floor allows visitors a respectful observation of this several thousand year old burial place in Northern Chile. Closed on Mondays, so plan your visit to Arica accordingly. See more..
4.5 Humedal del Rio Lluta (86 reviews)
- Humedal del Rio Lluta
Nature & Wildlife Areas

Despite the cloudy weather, we had a great time birdwatching on the reserve. Lots of turkey vultures and small passerines - finches, sparrows and meadowlarks inland, and various plovers, gulls and egret seaward See more..
4.5 Salar de Surire (81 reviews)
- A stunning place
Points of Interest & Landmarks

A visit to Surire requres an expensive tour from Arica or your own vehicle. If you the latter, you can approach from one of three directions. The first, the longest, is from Colchane on the road from Iquique to the Bolivian border via the deserted village of Isluga. Ther second is from the north from Putre, via Guallatire. This may be the easiest. The third is from the Arica road south of Putre via Belen. This is rough ('ripio') but the most fun. The view over the Salar as you approach is stupendous. The Salar contains large amounts of Borax which is removed by the company Quiborax. There are all thrtee kinds of Andean flamingoes, lots of vicunas and vizcachas (tame near the CONAF refugio. If lucky, you may see a condor or suris (rheas). Don't expect to be overwhelmed by tourists! You can stay in the Refugio although, in early 2014, it is closed for an upgrade. Contact CONAF before starting. See more..
4.5 Terminal Agropecuario Arica (81 reviews)
- Great Marketplace
Spent More than 3 hours Flea & Street Markets • Farmers Markets

When the bus drove up to this marketplace, I originally thought oh no another marketplace as I have seen lots of them all over the world. However, I was wrong. Since Arica uses irrigation and every gram of available water to grow crops, it is was really interesting to see what they had in their market. Our tour guide bought us several different types of olives and we got to taste them. They were very yummy! There were also very beautiful flowers and flower arrangements which I wish I could take to the ship with me. It was also nice to see the various fruits and vegetables that were available in the market. It also gave me some insight on how the locals live. Some of the other tour members bought the packed spices to take home to use in their own cooking. See more..
4.5 Cuidad de Arica (64 reviews)
- Nice city
Spent More than 3 hours National Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Deserts

A city with a pleasant climate.. there are many landmarks to visit around the city. Chinchorro culture is present See more..
4.5 Boulevard Vereda Bolognesi (22 reviews)
- local shopping and eating
Spent < 1 hour Shopping Malls

My wife likes shopping and if is local made she is happy. I on the other had prefer the local food and drink. you can do both here very nicely See more..
4.5 Luckia Casino (21 reviews)
- Excelentes Shows !!!
Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent More than 3 hours Casinos

Luckia Casino is located in the north of Chile with a wide and ambitious offer of entertainment. Live shows, latest generation machines and game tables; Roulette, BlackJack, Poker, Craps, etc. All this complemented with restaurants, Karaoke, coffee Shop, bars and an excellent offer of accommodation with Antay Hotel. See more..
4.5 Laguna Roja (19 reviews)
- Impressive place
Spent More than 3 hours Bodies of Water

This place isn't easy to get to, it's about a 5h drive from Iquique (more from Arica), about 1–2h on very poor and narrow dirt roads. It's on the standard tours, but doing it that way you probably get no more than a glance. We drove ourselves and camped there (with no other soul in sight), so we had plenty of time to explore. The laguna is red not because of algae, but because it's shallow and on red rock. But that isn't all, it's actually fed from a hot spring that drains to two sides, into two creek systems concurrently. And it's embedded in the desert landscape with impressive ravines, salt crusts, the lot. It's a must-see place. See more..
4.5 Termas de Jurasi (15 reviews)
- Wonderful !!!
Thermal Spas

We had a wonderful in the Termas de Jurasi. They are very easy to access from the main road. A few km after Putre in the direction of Bolivia, you will see a sign on the right. Then, it's only 2km drive on a beautiful paved road to reach the baths. The place itself is wonderful, surrounded by mountains. The entrance is 2000 pesos and the opening time is from 8am to 6pm (as of September 2018). The baths are clean, equipped with toilets and changing rooms. The water is really warm and you can also find mud baths. See more..
4.5 Cali Tours (14 reviews)
- A wonderful excursion in a wonderful area!
Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Hop-On Hop-Off Tours • Sightseeing Tours • Nature & Wildlife Tours • Bus Tours • Day Trips

Before the trip I had excellent communication (in English!) with Daniel Carrasco who always nicely and quickly responded to my mail and wishes; He arranged for my transfer late at night from the La Paz bus to nice hostel Cali (for 10 USD) where Yolanda was warmly waiting for me. Daniel knew I wasn't very happy to pay so much for a private tour to Lauca NP so, a few days before, he advised me that another couple would go too... but one day later than I had planned; the price difference was so big (from 200 to 58 USD) that I changed my bookings plan accordingly and I didn't regret as I loved cute little Putre and that excursion to Lauca was just perfect, from weather to sites visited to our driver/guide (too bad he talked Spanish only as we probably missed some of his detailed explanations) - including a lovely picnic at lake Chungara. I warmly recommend Putre, Lauca, Cali hostel and the whole team Cali tours for rest and enjoyment in a very beautiful region. See more..
4.5 Iglesia de Parinacota (9 reviews)
- Great frescoes inside
Spent 1-2 hours Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings • Religious Sites • Churches & Cathedrals

The church is nice from the outside, but is special compared to those in the nearby villages, that the interior is covered with frescoes. These are worth the wait and trouble of finding the person with the key to open the church. Our driver knew whom the person was, but we still needed to wait half an hour, as the whole village was having a discussion (they seem to be in a perpetual fight, as our driver who was from this village told us). Due to the fighting the church has not yet been renovated. The frescoes clearly blend European and local imagery, and interestingly the Roman soldiers are all presented as Spanish soldiers. Near the exit on your left site there is also a depiction of the mouth of hell. Some of the remaining silver artefacts are on display in a dark side room, near the altar is the "moving table", which is now on a chain, but supposedly at nght otherwise flies off, and stops at a house where someone will die. See more..
4.5 Iglesia de Codpa (5 reviews)
- Enchanting town
Spent 2-3 hours Churches & Cathedrals

We came here as part of an excursion from a cruise with an amazing guide, Lorena. The locals arranged a very small dance performance for us and there was a shaman there to read coca leaves for insights into fortunes of those who asked. We tasted their traditional Pintatani wine (very sweet). See more..
4.0 Catedral de San Marcos (427 reviews)
- Lovely Church
Architectural Buildings

Assembled in the 1870's to replace the main church lost to the 1868 earthquake, this national monument was the city's first building constructed of steel and cast iron, with only its door made from wood. See more..
4.0 Playa Chinchorro (239 reviews)
- Long walks
Spent 2-3 hours Beaches

This is a nice beach, very long, to relax and have a good walk. Great for surfing as well with lots of waves and good breaks. See more..