Arica y Parinacota Region · Chile
Arica travel guide
Arica is a city in Arica y Parinacota Region, Chile, home to about 202,000 people.
- Best months
- all year
- Nearest airport
- ARI15 km · Chacalluta International Airport
- Currency
- CLPChilean peso
- Time zone
- America/Santiago
- Language
- Spanish
About
About Arica
Arica 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.
Arica has a mild, temperate climate with one of the lowest annual rainfall rates anywhere in the world. You will rarely find any clouds in Arica, although the sky can sometimes be darkened with a sort of fog called camanchaca. 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. Near the city is the Azapa Valley, an oasis where vegetables and Azapa olives are grown.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Arica
See
- Cathedral of San Marcos
- Morro de Arica
- Plaza Colón
- Museo Arqueológico San Miguel de Azapa
- Mouth of Camarones River
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Arica
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Arica are all year. February is the warmest month, with average highs of 26 °C; February is the wettest, with about 2 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Arica: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Chacalluta International Airport (ARI), about 15 km from the city centre in a straight line; Coronel FAP Carlos Ciriani Santa Rosa International Airport (TCQ, 48 km) and General Jorge Fernandez Maldon Airport (ILQ, 139 km) are also within reach.
ARI · Chacalluta International Airport
TCQ · Coronel FAP Carlos Ciriani Santa Rosa International Airport
ILQ · General Jorge Fernandez Maldon Airport
Questions
Arica: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Arica?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Arica are all year. February is the warmest month, with average highs of 26 °C; February is the wettest, with about 2 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Arica?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Chacalluta International Airport (ARI), about 15 km from the city centre in a straight line; Coronel FAP Carlos Ciriani Santa Rosa International Airport (TCQ, 48 km) and General Jorge Fernandez Maldon Airport (ILQ, 139 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Arica?
Chilean peso (CLP).
Nearby
Destinations near Arica
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.