Tacna, Cross-Over Point to Chile , by Hortense Soulier

The desertic south of Peru has many attractions, and is definitely worth the trip. If you have some time to spare and want to stray away from the crowds, packed in the country’s major highlights such as Cusco, Arequipa or Lake Titicaca, why not make a little detour to the far south of the country, and even into Chile. Passing the border by bus is quite easy, and can be done from the small town of Tacna. Many expatriates living in Peru actually do so frequently to renew their visa. You might spot of few border hoppers on your way!

Located only 36 km from the Chilean border, and 56km away from the international port of Arica, Tacna is a great destination for those willing to cross over the border and continue on their trip to Chile and its beautiful northern region. This town has free-trade status and is therefore an important commercial center, where Chileans looking for cheaper services abound. Tacna actually used to part of Chile between 1880 and 1929, until its inhabitants voted by plebiscite to be reintegrated to Peru. Spending a day in this pleasant town is a perfect way to rest before continuing on towards your Chilean adventure.

Apart from being a border town, used as a cross-over point, Tacna has a few attractions that deserve to be seen. Its beautiful church, designed by French architect Gustave Eiffel stands on the Plaza de Armas, which is adorned with gigantic bronze statues representing Admiral Grau and colonel Bolognesi. The statues stand at both ends of the Arca de los Heroes, symbol of the city. The beautiful bronze fountain on the plaza is supposed to be a duplicate from the one standing on the Place de la Concorde in Paris and was also designed by Eiffel. Take some time to soak up the atmosphere of this quaint town strolling down the streets and mingling with the locals before you leave Peru for Chile.

There is a checkpoint open between 8am and 11pm from Sunday to Thursday, and 24h on Fridays and Saturdays, located right before the border with Chile. In Tacna, you can either take an international bus or a collectivo (shared taxi), which is the cheaper option. It takes about an hour to make the trip from Tacna to Arica. Make sure you change some money to pesos before you enter Chile, as it’s not always easy to use dollars in the country. If like the boder hoppers, you plan on returning to Peru, the same routine applys. Just don’t forget that there is an hour time difference between Peru and Chile, so plan accordingly if you don’t want to miss you transportation in Tacna.

This guide to Tacna on the Peruvian/Chilean border was written by a Peru travel expert at Peru For Less available to help you custom design your exciting Peru vacations.