Photograph: The Morro de Arica from the sea by S. Rae from Scotland, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Arica is a port city of about 240,000 people at the very top of Chile, the country's northernmost city and only about 18 kilometres south of the Peruvian border, and it lives under a single brown headland, the Morro de Arica. It is the capital of the Arica y Parinacota region, a mild, sunny, almost rainless desert town that Chileans call the City of the Eternal Spring, with long beaches, cold surf and some of the oldest deliberately mummified human remains ever found. Packing for Arica means packing for strong sun and cool sea air in the same day, for an ocean that is colder than the climate suggests, and, if you go inland, for a climb from sea level to the high Andes in a few hours.
The photograph above was taken from out on the water. It shows the Morro as a sheer, banded brown cliff with a large Chilean flag on its flat summit, a higher bare hill behind it carrying radio masts, a single white tower block at the foot of that hill, a low line of buildings and a breakwater along the shore, hazy desert hills to the right and a wide band of blue green sea. What the frame cannot show is most of what you will actually do here. There is no street in it, no cathedral, no Plaza Colon and no beach. The statue of Christ and the war museum on the summit are too small to see. There is nothing of the Chinchorro mummies or the museum that holds them, nothing of the green Azapa valley, and nothing of the altiplano or Lake Chungara, which are a long drive inland and thousands of metres higher.
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What Is Here
Arica is a border city with a long and contested history. During the War of the Pacific, Chilean troops took the Morro, which Wikipedia describes as the last bulwark of the Peruvian troops who garrisoned the city, on 7 June 1880. The question of who owned the region was not settled for decades: under the Treaty of Lima in 1929, Tacna went back to Peru and Arica remained Chilean. The two cities are still closely tied, and Wikipedia notes that many people cross the border every day, partly because services such as dentists and doctors are cheaper in Peru.
The Morro itself rises 139 metres straight out of the city and the sea, with a gentler slope to the east. On top are a giant Chilean flag, a war museum and a statue of Jesus, and the summit is a viewpoint over the harbour, the city and the desert. It was declared a national monument in 1971. A paved footpath climbs it from the south end of Calle Colon; it is a short, steep walk, best done early.
In the centre, Plaza Colon is the civic heart of the city, and beside it stands the cathedral of San Marcos, built in the 1870s and credited by Wikipedia to Gustave Eiffel. The Spanish Wikipedia describes a block of the city known as the Manzana Eiffel for the buildings attributed to his workshops, including the former governor's house. Together with the plaza they make a pleasant hour's walk.
The Chinchorro and the Azapa Valley
Arica's real distinction is older than any of its buildings. The Chinchorro were a fishing people who lived along this coast for thousands of years, and they preserved their dead with great care, rebuilding and reinforcing the bodies, modelling them with clay and adding wigs and pigments. According to Wikipedia, deliberate mummification began by about 5050 BCE, making the Chinchorro mummies the oldest known examples of purposefully preserved human bodies in the world. In 2021, Chinchorro settlements and cemeteries in the Arica and Parinacota region were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Part of the site lies on the northern slope of the Morro, in the city itself.
The place to see them is the archaeological museum of San Miguel de Azapa, about 16 kilometres east of the city in the Azapa valley, with petroglyphs outside. Check its opening days before you go. The valley is an oasis where vegetables and the well known Azapa olives are grown, a strip of green between bare brown hills.
Beaches, Surf and the Sea
Arica has more than 20 kilometres of beaches, and the sea is colder than the sunshine suggests. From north to south they run Las Machas, Chinchorro, El Alacran, El Laucho, La Lisera, Brava, Arenillas Negras, La Capilla, Corazones and La Liserilla. Wikivoyage says the beaches north of town are good for beginners while more experienced surfers go south of the Morro, and that summer is the main season while in winter you will have the beaches to yourself. Its verdict on the water is short: it is cold. The wave known as El Gringo is a well known surf and bodyboarding break that hosts international competitions.
At Playa Chinchorro, the Spanish Wikipedia notes, you can see the boilers of the American warship Wateree, which the tsunami that followed the earthquake of August 1868 carried far inland and left stranded.
Swim only at lifeguarded beaches in season, ask locally about currents, and leave nothing on the sand while you are in the water.
When to Go
Arica is mild all year. The long term averages in Wikipedia's weather table give average highs of about 26C in January, the height of the southern summer, and about 18C in July and August, with nights falling to around 20C in summer and 15C in winter. Rain barely exists: Wikipedia calls the climate extremely dry, with almost no rainfall, and Wikivoyage says Arica has one of the lowest annual rainfall rates anywhere in the world. That does not mean endless blue sky. Wikipedia notes that the city is relatively overcast for a desert, and Wikivoyage describes the camanchaca, a sea fog that can darken the sky. Expect some grey mornings.
December to March is beach season, warmer and busier. June to September is cooler and quieter, with the beaches mostly to yourself, and is a good time for the museum and the city. The altiplano is a different climate altogether and much colder, so check conditions with your operator before any trip to Lauca.
Getting There
Chacalluta International Airport is about 18 kilometres north of the city, with flights from Santiago and other Chilean cities. By road, long distance buses come up the Pan American Highway from Iquique, Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama, the last of them an overnight run, and buses arrive from La Paz in Bolivia. The FCDO says to keep valuables with you on long bus journeys rather than in the luggage hold.
To or from Peru, Wikivoyage describes shared taxis, or colectivos, that run between the International Bus Terminal in Arica and the one in Tacna, with the driver helping passengers through immigration and customs, and a train between the two cities. Check current border hours before you set out.
In town, walking covers the centre and the Morro. The FCDO advises booking taxis rather than hailing them in the street, especially late at night.
Into the Altiplano
The trip most visitors make from Arica climbs from the beach to the high Andes. Lauca National Park lies about 145 kilometres east of the city, near the village of Putre, and inside it is Lake Chungara, at an approximate height of 4,500 metres, in a wilderness of volcanoes beside the Bolivian border. The FCDO lists altitude sickness as a risk in parts of Chile; going from sea level to that height in a morning invites headaches, nausea and breathlessness. Breaking the journey with a night on the way up is the gentler way, and anyone who feels unwell should go back down.
This is also the country where the FCDO's landmine warning applies, because the road inland runs through border country towards Bolivia. Stay on marked roads and paths, as the next section explains. The FCDO adds that open fires are illegal in national parks outside permitted camping areas, and that rescue services in Chile are good but you may have to pay if they help you.
Is Arica Safe for Women Travelers
Arica is named nowhere in the FCDO's regional advice, read on 9 November 2026. The only region given its own section is Araucania in the south, where there is ongoing civil unrest and a state of emergency in the provinces of Biobio, Arauco, Cautin and Malleco. Arica is at the other end of the country. Wikivoyage describes it as quiet, relaxed and safe.
The warning that does name this region is about landmines. In the FCDO's words, most minefields are near the borders with Peru and Bolivia in the extreme north of Chile, regions XV, I and II, and Arica y Parinacota is region XV. It adds: "Although most minefields are clearly marked, some signs and fences are old and damaged and may be hard to spot. In some cases, minefields are laid right up to the edge of highways. Check with local authorities before travelling to more rural areas, stick to clearly marked roads and observe all warning signs." In practice, do not walk off a highway verge for a photograph near either border, do not cross the frontier anywhere but at the official post, and take every old sign seriously.
National warnings apply here too. The FCDO says pickpocketing, mugging and thefts from vehicles are very common throughout Chile, including at bus stations, viewpoints and petrol stations, and that thieves target belongings in cars parked at viewpoints, so do not leave anything visible in a hire car at the Morro or on the coast road. It says muggings happen frequently, especially in Santiago and Valparaiso, and not to resist. Drink spiking has been reported in nightclubs and bars: keep your drink in sight and be wary of people offering to buy you one.
The FCDO also says terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Chile, and that there is a risk of violent protest in Chilean cities, particularly on Friday afternoons and evenings, with nationwide protests often on 11 September, 29 March and 1 May. Avoid demonstrations. Two local laws matter: always carry a printed copy of your passport photo page, and do not drink alcohol in public places such as streets, squares and promenades.
Earthquakes are the natural risk, and Arica knows them well. The FCDO says major earthquakes are a risk in Chile, that safety measures are widely known and put into practice by the authorities, and to take note of the instructions in your hotel room. The 1868 earthquake was followed by a tsunami that wrecked the port. On arrival, find the tsunami evacuation route signs near where you are staying. If the ground shakes so hard you cannot stand, or for a long time, do not wait for a siren: go inland and uphill at once. Follow SENAPRED, Chile's national disaster prevention and response service, for official alerts.
The Arica Packing List
Our merino base layers are 100% Australian merino at 17.5 micron, and a long sleeve merino wool base layer for women is the most useful single garment for Arica. It keeps strong sun off your arms on the Morro, it is enough on a grey camanchaca morning, and it is the layer you will want next to your skin at Lake Chungara, where the air is thin and cold.
For Sun and Desert
There is almost no shade on the Morro, the beaches or the museum road. A wide brim sun hat and the Columbia Benton Spring long hoodie, a light sun layer, cover you without adding heat. Our affiliate register carries no sunscreen and no eyewear, so bring high factor sun cream and good sunglasses of your own; at altitude you will need both more than you expect. Carry a large insulated water bottle. Wikivoyage says the tap water in the area is not recommended for drinking, so fill it with bottled water.
For the Altiplano
Lake Chungara is a different world from the beach. Add a Columbia Fast Trek fleece mid layer over the base layer and a merino beanie for the wind at 4,500 metres, even on a warm day in town.
For Your Feet
The Morro path is steep and dusty and the altiplano is rough ground. Hiking shoes with real grip do both, and you will want sandals for the beach. That is our sixth affiliate link, which is our limit per post, so there is no link here for a windproof shell; a light one is worth packing for the fog and the wind at the lake.
Recommended Tours and Experiences
Essential Resources for Women in Arica
Emergency numbers: ambulance 131, fire 132, police 133, according to the FCDO's getting help page; its health page says to call 131 and ask for an ambulance.
Main hospital: the public Hospital Regional de Arica Dr. Juan Noe Crevani serves the city and region. The FCDO says there are good health facilities in Santiago and other major cities but that private clinics and hospitals are expensive, and advises adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover treatment and repatriation. Make sure your policy covers the altiplano trip and any surfing. The FCDO also notes that hantavirus is present in Chile and points to TravelHealthPro for guidance; read it if you plan to camp.
US State Department travel advisory: the Chile advisory. Read the current level there directly rather than relying on a figure printed in any guide.
UK FCDO travel advice: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/chile, and read the safety and security page rather than only the landing page, because that is where the substance sits.
Official health authority: the Chilean Ministry of Health on the national government portal.
US Embassy: the United States Embassy in Santiago, is in Santiago, at the other end of the country from Arica.
Official tourism authority: Chile Travel, the national tourism board, covers the whole country; in Arica, ask at your accommodation for licensed tour operators to Lauca.
Solo women safety assessment: Arica is a relaxed city for a woman on her own, small enough to walk and outside every area the FCDO names in its regional advice. The realistic risks are theft from bags, beaches and parked cars, drink spiking in bars, and the odd mugging, which the FCDO says not to resist. Book taxis, keep your drink in your hand, carry a printed copy of your passport photo page, and avoid walking alone late at night. The two risks that are particular to this place are landmines near the borders, so stay on marked roads inland, and altitude on the trip to Lauca. Learn the tsunami evacuation route on your first day. Emergency 131 for an ambulance, 133 for police.
Takeaways
Climb the Morro early, see the Chinchorro mummies at Azapa, and respect the cold sea. Pack for strong sun and cool fog in the same day, and if you head for Lake Chungara, take warm layers, go slowly and stay on the marked roads. Learn the evacuation route on arrival.
Reading On
Down the coast, the Iquique packing list covers the next desert port south, and the Antofagasta packing list and the Atacama packing list cover the desert beyond. Across the border, Arica's twin city is in the Tacna packing list, with the Arequipa packing list further into Peru, and the salt flats of Bolivia are in the Uyuni packing list. For the capital, read the Santiago packing list and the Valparaiso packing list. The Chile packing list and the Chile travel guide for women cover the whole country. For why one merino layer works from desert sun to altiplano cold, read the guide to merino wool base layers for women, and every destination we cover is indexed at the travel packing guide for women. The base layers themselves are in the Roman Trail collection.
If the outer journey is calling you, the inner one usually is too. Explore SoulMap at romantrail.com/blogs/soulmap.
