Tour National Park Lauca

We will pick you up at 09:00am from your accommodation. The tour starts with a visit of the city of Arica, also called city of eternal spring due to its warm climate all year round. It is still one of the lesser known places in the extreme Northern part of the country, yet a place that has much to offer to its visitors. You can discover some of the beaches of Arica that have the warmest waters along the Chilean shore and are famous for being one of the most important surfing spots on a global level. We will stop by the caves of Anzota which were formed by the tides of the ocean and form part of the ancient Chinchorro culture. Then we continue to the Terminal Asoagro of Arica, a typical food market of Northern Chile. Here you can get to know more about the taste of the region: Walk through the aisles of fruits and vegetables, try some local olives from the Azapa valley and take in the scent of fresh mangos or the guayaba – legend has it that whoever tried this fruit will stay in Arica, or at least will always come back.

After our stop at the market we will make our way through the fertile Azapa Valley. In this small oasis in the middle of the desert you will find numerous olive farms, fruits of which you probably already tried on the market before. You can also spot large geoglyphs on the hills around the valley. The most famous is “La Tropilla”, a relic from indigenous American tribes that represents camels guided by men and some dancers. In the valley, we will furthermore visit the Archaeological Museum of San Miguel de Azapa, home to the Chinchorro mummies. These mummies are the oldest mummies in the world, having been preserved for more than 10.000 years. On the visit to the museum you have the opportunity to learn more about this incredibly ancient culture.

We then cross the hills over to the Lluta Valley, where on the way you can enjoy panoramic views of both green valleys. In the pre-Inca village Poconchile we stop to enter the small church of San Gerónimo. It was built in 1605, making it the oldest church in the region, and contains some of the most ancient and valuable artifacts of the village. Traveling further up into the highlands we will cross the Canyon of Cardones, where in the middle of the desert you will find hundreds and hundreds of giant cactus (cactus candelabros).

On this part of the route, we will pass the “magnetic zone”. A small sign lets you know that you enter this mysterious area, just before the road starts to notably climb up a little hill. On this part of the road, although it seemingly takes you up, if you take out the gear of the vehicle it will start to move upwards along the road as if it was a downhill ride. Until today, nobody has provided a valid explanation for this strange phenomenon. However, it is always worth to try it yourself and experience another one of the mysteries of the Chilean Altiplano.

Our next stop will be the Pukara de Copaquilla, an impressive fort that dates from pre-Inca times. From there, the route takes us to the magical village Socoroma. Located at 3.000m above sea level it forms part of the pre-cordillera. Socoroma enchants its visitors with intact colonial buildings that despite the passing of time resemble the old culture of the Norte Grande, the Great North of Chile. We will stop at the viewpoint of Putre, where you can enjoy panoramic views of this village at 3.500m, the capital of the province of Parinacota. This whole area might easily make feel like traveling back in time, given its buildings that date back to the 17^th century. If you are lucky and visiting in the month of February, you can become part of the colorful carnival of Putre. As in every typical village of the Altiplano, in Putre these dates turn into a true cultural festivity. We arrive in Putre around 06:30pm and drop you off at your hotel.

We will start our second day in Putre at 08:30am to approach one of the most important and fascinating places of this tour, the Lake Chungará. Shortly after leaving Putre we enter the National Park Lauca, an area of great natural beauty, incredible landscapes and a wonderful flora and fauna. On an easy hike you can explore the bofedales (typical wetlands) and the region of the caves, habitat of wild vicuñas, families of vizcachas and a completely unique ecosystem within the Altiplano (viewpoint Bofedal of Parinacota). From here, you will also have great views on the majestic twin volcanoes Payachatas. Following the route a little further we finally reach the main attraction of the National Park Lauca, the impressive Lake Chungará, one of the highest lakes in the world (4.517m above sea level). It lies quietly below the two volcanoes Payachatas, creating an unbelievable scenery. Observe the more than 130 different bird species that have chosen the lake to become their habitat, like the Chilean flamingo, the guallata, the Andean condor and the giant tagua, or spot some of the other animals that frequent the area like the alpacas, vizcachas, guanacos, vicuñas, pumas, llamas or foxes.

After having explored the exceptional beauty of Lake Chungará, we will slowly start to make our way back. We will stop at the Lagoons of Cotacotani to appreciate their turquoise waters and visit the village of Parinacota. The church of the village was built on the 17^th century and declared national monument. A typical lunch in one of the local restaurants will show you the gastronomic traditions and customs of the Chilean highlands. 

Before we return to the city and wave goodbye to the beautiful Chilean Altiplano, you can choose to take an enriching bath in the volcanic natural pools. The Hot Springs of Jurasi are a great spot to relax after a long day. Also, they are said to have healing powers and help with rheumatic pains due to the concentrated minerals in the soil and water.

We return to Arica around 06:00pm. End of the tour.