The Best Day Trips From Arica Chile

For a city rimmed with great beaches, a relaxing vibe, and constant sunshine, it is very easy to spend a few days in Arica in the sand, or seeing the sights in town, at a slow pace. However, if you really want to pack your days, and make them memorable, add at least one of these day trips to your agenda. Your travel photos will also instantly get a lot more interesting.

1. Lauca National Park

Park

An enjoyable 2.5 hour, ascending drive with sweeping corners will take you inland from sea level, towards the Bolivian border, and into Parque Nacional Lauca. You can spend a whole day driving and taking photos, as the drive itself provides great views, and the park is some of the most raw, impressive scenery in all of Chile.

Putre

Even though it functions as the main accommodation hub in the Lauca National Park, Putre is still a very traditional town located at 3500 meters above sea level in the company of some incredible surrounding views, as it sits at the base of the Taapaca Volcano Complex. The hand-laid stones that make up the main roads, and plaza in town, coupled with the thatched roofs, will be a constant reminder that Putre has not changed in centuries.

Putre, Arica y Parinacota, Chile

2. Parinacota Volcano

Park

If you plan to challenge yourself when in this part of Chile, taking on the Parinacota Volcano will do just that. The perfect cone-shaped volcano that stands alone in its flat surroundings will take you up to 6,300 meters above sea level and tests your ability to find oxygen in this thin air. It will also take you into Bolivian territory, as the base of the volcano is shared between Chile and Bolivia, but the peak is in the latter.