Cuevas de Anzota

Arica


About 10km south of the center, the serene beaches give way to an area of jagged cliffs, rocky shorelines and caves that were used by the Chinchorro culture some 9000 years ago. A new coastal walk takes you through the area, with staircases leading up to lookout points, and fine vantage points over the dramatic coastline. Keep an eye out for sea lions, chungungo (a marine otter) and a host of marine birds.

There's no public transportation down this way. Take a taxi.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Arica attractions

1. El Morro de Arica

4.85 MILES

This imposing coffee-colored shoulder of rock looms 110m over the city. It makes a great place to get your bearings, with vulture-eye views of the city,…

2. Museo de Sitio Colón 10

4.89 MILES

See the 32 excavated Chinchorro mummies in situ at this tiny museum below El Morro. They were discovered when an architect bought this former private home…

3. Museo Histórico y de Armas

4.92 MILES

Atop Morro de Arica, this museum recounts a key battle that took place on this hillside in 1880 during the War of the Pacific. There'a a collection of…

4. Catedral de San Marcos

5.01 MILES

This Gothic-style church has a threefold claim to fame. First, it was designed by celebrated Parisian engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, before his…

5. Ex-Aduana de Arica

5.12 MILES

Eiffel designed this former customs house. Prefabricated in Paris, it was assembled on-site in 1874, with walls made of blocks and bricks stacked between…

6. Ferrocarril Arica-Poconchile

6.13 MILES

One part of the old rail line that linked Arica with La Paz, Bolivia, has been restored, allowing you to ride a tourist train that runs once a week…

7. Lluta Geoglyphs

13.01 MILES

A short distance inland from the intersection of the Panamericana and Chile 11, you'll see the pre-Columbian Lluta geoglyphs, also known as the Gigantes…