25th & 26th Day Arica, Chile December 19th & 20th, 2025

After a calm day at sea at 24° in Arica, the northernmost major city (with about 200,000 inhabitants) of Chile is reached. In Chile, which stretches 2400km and has all climate zones, we visit Arica, the city in the Atacama Desert, known as the driest desert in the world where it can go decades without rain.
Plaza Colon with the Catedral de San Marco, which was entirely built of steel (by the Frenchman Eiffel) after being destroyed by an earthquake. The hill 'El Morro de Arica', which commemorates the South American War, provides a view of the surroundings from above with its Christ statue.
On the steep hills of the desert lie the famous geoglyphs, stone images, and formations that are thousands of years old.
Despite the harshness of this desert, an incredible variety of fruits and vegetables is produced primarily in the Azapatal (in the middle of the Atacama Desert) using only water from the Andes (during the rainy season) and groundwater. The images from Mercado Central show 90% local products from the region.
There is also plenty to please the eyes and ears.