Arica is the northernmost city in Chile and boasts a long
history of commercial and cultural exchange with the high plateau people of
Peru and Bolivia. For almost 10,000 years, humans have inhabited this land
framed by Atacama – the driest desert in the world. Native South American
people, including the Inca in the north, were living in Chile when the Spanish
conquerors arrived in the early 16th century. The city of Arica was
founded in 1570 as San Marcos de Arica. It was originally a seaport of Peru
until it was occupied by Chile during the War of the Pacific in 1879. Today the
area is popular for its year round warm weather, making it a popular beach
destination for tourists. But the backdrop of this area remains situated in the
past, with many ancient fortresses and villages.
This is another working port, so again you have to take a
shuttle to the main gate. This is a beautiful town with lots of walking paths.
The downtown is very quaint. Saint Mark’s Cathedral was
built b Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower.
As you get off the shuttle you are in the town square. From
the ship and from the square you have a great view of El Moro de Arica, the symbol
of the northern Chilean entrance and was declared a National Monument on
October 6, 1971. The rocky hill on the coast is about 130 meters high, and it
is located at the south side of the urban area of town. On June 7, 1880 there
was a big battle, an epic and symbolic confrontation part of the The Pacific
War which sealed its occupation from Chile and subsequent annexation to the Chilean
territory, officially since 1929. You could walk up, but we did not.
After the square we walked over to the pedestrian street of
21 de Mayo, the main artery of the city which as many shops, cafes and
restaurants.
On the world cruise I collected sand from the beaches we
visited. And, there is a very nice beach up the coast called Playa El Laucho.
As we walked to the beach we passed the statue of Cristobal Colon; however, I
do not know what he did.
The walk to the beach was along the coast and very
enjoyable. The beach was starting to get crowded right after we got there.
There was a restaurant on the beach, so we stopped for a
beer. It was very enjoyable sitting on the beach and watching the people.
We then walked back and caught our shuttle to the ship for
lunch. In all we walked a little over three miles.
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