Morning departure towards the altiplano. During our ascent we have the chance to enjoy a wide variety of landscapes, flora and fauna. We soon pass by geoglyphs on the yellow slopes that flank the route, some depicting figures of llamas and humans. Other highlights along the way are the village of Poconchile and its XVII century church, the Cardones Canyon with it’s up to 4 meters high cacti, before we reach Pukara de Copaquilla, one of the ancient fortresses built by native Indians. Visit at the Socorromo village and its Andean/Colonial architecture and its pre-Hispanic farm terraces. Panorámico view of the Villages of Putre. Next come the Lauca river and the Cotacotani lagoons, myriad interconnected emerald-green ponds that bear testimony to the effect of the interruption of water flow by volcanic activity. We the continue to the Lauca National Park, and its spectacular scenery, exotic flora surrounded by show capped mountains and volcanoes with their eternal fumaroles such as the Parinacota, Pomerape and Guallatire and wild fauna including Guanacos, Vicuñas, lamas (belonging to the camel species) and Vizcachas. Our next stop is the beautiful village of Parinacota, declared a national Monument. This is one of the altiplano`s most important ceremonial sites, although nowadays the activities are limited to religious festivities. The houses are built from stone, using clay as mortar and have thatched roofs. They are huddled around the beautiful church of the XVII century. Return to Putre.

Departure from your hotel towards Columbus Square, visiting the San Marcos Cathedral designed by Gustave Eiffel et Cie. in the gothic style and inaugurated in 1876, now the House of Culture and used formerly as a Customs House. Stamped on each brick of this building is the mark of Gustave Eiffel workshops where it was prefabricated. It was brought from France and raised in brick and metal between 1872 and 1874. We continue to the Morro de Arica with an altitude of 130 m. This bluff is the emblematic landmark of the city. On an esplanade at the top you will see broken cannons, the bust of Colonel Pedro Lagos, the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Cristo de la Concordia, a sculpture by the artist Raúl Valdivieso that was cast in Spain. There is also a museum here, built on the ruins of the old fortifications and a lookout point with a spectacular view of the city. We continue to Azapa Valley. During the trip, tall yellow colored columns with drawings mark the archeological sites. The Geoglyphs are cultural testimonies of the people of the past. These are enormous drawings on the slopes of some hills, executed collectively by ancestral people using the technique of stacked stones or scratching the earth. It is thought that there were created to make the passing of the cattle routes between the hills and coast. Hundreds of small farms will start appearing on the low, dry hills, most of them are dedicated to the production of the famous and tasty Azapa olives. They are watered by the San José River. But its importance is not in agriculture. Different stages of historical development were stamped on these lands that were a human homesteading very early in history. Its archeological vestiges are mainly of the period of Regional Development, such as the village of Cerro Sombrero and most of the Geoglyphs. But there are also sited of the Tiwanaka period such as the San Lorenzo housing complex, and of Inca influence, such as the housing complex of Alto Ramírez. Archeological Museum of San Miguel de Azapa. This museum, one of the best in Chile, belongs to the University of Tarapacá. Its rooms recreate 10.000 years of history, from the period of the Chinchorros to the present-day Aymara shepherds. The visit is made with a catalogue in order to identify the objects in the display cabinets and their functions. One room shows the history of the olive tree in the valley. The tour includes museum tickets, mineral water and bilingual tour guide.  Return to your hotel in Arica.