travel42 Port Guide: Arica

travel42 Professional Cruise Port of Call Review

Called the City of Eternal Spring for its warm ocean waters and relatively mild, rainless climate, Arica, Chile, has become a beach resort for Bolivians and to a lesser degree for Chileans (who prefer Iquique). Located on the coast 1,280 mi/2,060 km north of Santiago, almost at the Peruvian border, Arica enjoys sun year-round, though June and July can be a little cool for beachgoers.

The steep headland of El Morro, easily climbed from downtown, offers views of the city's palm-studded plaza an...