Northern Region
Arica, near the northern border with Peru, is an excellent tourist centre. It has good beaches and the famous San Marcos Cathedral. Conditions in the area are ideal for deep-sea fishing. The unique landscape of Altiplano, near Arica, where vast volcanoes, salt marshes and lakes exist together upon a 12,000 ft plateau, is home to the indigenous Aymara Indians. Llamas and alpacas can be seen here. The nearby UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, Lauca National Park, is worth visiting. Travelling south through the Atacama Desert, excursions can be made to the hot springs of Mamina and to the oasis of the Pica Valley. The port of Antofagasta is the stopping point for air services and for most shipping lines. From here, a visit can be made to Chuquicamata, the world’s largest opencast copper mine, and also to the archaeological oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama and to the geysers at El Tatio.
Further south is Coquimbo, situated in one of the best harbours on the coast. Nearby is the beautiful bathing resort of Los Vilos. 9 miles north of Coquimbo is La Serena, the provincial capital. This charming and well laid-out town is graced with fine buildings and streets, and good reproductions of the attractive Spanish colonial style of architecture. The town is at the mouth of the Elqui River and excursions can be made from here to the rich fruit-growing region of the Elqui Valley, which is also full of reminiscences of the Chilean Nobel Prize Winner, Gabriela Mistral. Tours can also be arranged to the Tololo Observatory, the largest in the southern hemisphere.
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