South AmericaChileArica y Parinacota Region
Arica
Arica y Parinacota Region, Chile · South America
About Arica
Arica sits on the route: 30 minutes from Los Palos.
Arica is in Arica y Parinacota Region, Chile, with about 240,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Los Palos, about 26 km away.
Arica ( ə-REE-kə; Spanish: [aˈɾika]) is a port city and commune in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica y Parinacota Region. It is Chile's northernmost city, being located only 18 km (11 mi) south of the border with Peru. The city is the capital of both the Arica Province and the Arica and Parinacota Region.Read more
Arica is located at the bend of South America's western coast known as the Arica Bend or Arica Elbow. It is also where two valleys which dissect the Atacama Desert, Azapa and Lluta, converge. These valleys provide citrus and olives for export.
Arica is an important port for a large inland region of South America. The city serves a free port for Bolivia and manages a substantial part of that country's trade. In addition it is the end station of the Bolivian oil pipeline beginning in Oruro. The city's strategic position is enhanced by being next to the Pan-American Highway, being connected to both Tacna in Peru and La Paz in Bolivia by railroad and being served by an international airport.
Arica was made famous in 1970 by the spiritual master Oscar Ichazo when he held a 10-month training there for 50 North Americans from the Esalen Institute in California. The Arica School, based in the United States of America, has influenced thousands of people all over the world.
Arica has an extremely dry climate, with almost no rainfall. Even so, the frequent maritime winds from the cold waters nearby renders a moderate desert climate. Its mild weather has made Arica known as the "city of the eternal spring" in Chile while its beaches are frequented by Bolivian society. The city was an important port already during Spanish colonial rule. Chile seized the city from Peru in 1880 during the War of the Pacific, being recognized as Chilean by Peru in 1929. A substantial part of African Chileans live in or trace their origins to Arica.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Arica?
Arica is in Arica y Parinacota Region, Chile, about 26 km from Los Palos.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 241,653
- Continent
- South America
- Country
- Chile
- Region
- Arica y Parinacota Region
- Timezone
- America/Santiago
- Coordinates
- -18.4755, -70.3006
Tags
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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