 |
Santiago - Arica
Transfer to Santiago de Chile Airport. We will be welcomed at the Arica Airport and transferred to the hotel. |
|
Arica - City Tour
Breakfast at the hotel. In the afternoon, we will go to the city of Arica. We will visit the center of the town, San Marcos Church and the ancient Customs building, both built by the French architect Eiffel.
Also we will climb the Morro de Arica (Arica's Hill), which was a strategic place during the Pacific War. And we will end our journey visiting the Azapa Valley. |
 |
Arica - Socorama - Chungará Lake - Putre
Breakfast at the hotel. We will head for Putre. Passing by Lluta Valley, we will watch ancient pictures of llamas and human figures at the hillsides; these are geoglyphs of Colcas Incas. We will go to Poconchile, Pukará of Copaquilla (a pre-hispanic fortress) and the cactus Candelabro, which is a giant species, in La Quebrada de Cardones (Cardones Ravine). We will get to Socoroma.
Then we will head for Lauca National Park and visit the Parinacota Town and Chungara Lake. The Chungará Lake is part of Lauca National Park. It has a surface area of 21,5 km2 and a maximum depth of 33m. Its turquoise waters are very cold, and you can see the Chungará volcano reflected in them.
|
 |
Putre - Guallatiri - Surire Salt Flats - Colchane
Breakfast at the hotel. We will go to Surire Salt Flats, 4,245 meters above sea level; and we will pass by Las Vicuñas National Reserve. The main objective of this reserve is the vicuna protection, a wild camel species living in plains of the mountainous region in the northern part of Chile.
In the past, it was at the brink of extinction.
We will visit the Aymara native communities of Ancuta, Guallatiri and Viluvio. Then we will go on our trip to Colchane, leaving aside the wetlands and high plateau towns. We will spend the night in Colchane where we will have dinner.
|
 |
Colchane - Iquique
Breakfast at the hotel. From Colchane we will set out for Iquique. It is one of the most emblematic northern Chilean cities with 150,000 inhabitants. This is a new city with renowned architectonical buildings such as the Municipal Theater.
Iquique is a great fishing center and its port is the biggest exporter of fish flour worldwide.
It is known by the events occurred during the Pacific War, as the buoy in the coast depicting the site of the sinking of the Esmeralda ship in 1879.
It is a tax-free area and the largest duty-free zone of South America. We will stay at Iquique.
Note: If you have time to spare, we recommend staying an extra night in Iquique to visit the Pica Oasis.
|
 |
Iquique - Pica Oasis
Breakfast at the hotel. We will head for the Pica Oasis. It is one of the most beautiful oases in the Atacama Desert. Worldwide famous by its tropical fruits, its tasty olives, and exuberant flora and fauna, thanks to the subtropical climate throughout the year.
|
 |
Iquique
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer from the hotel to Iquique airport.
|
