Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [121]
* * *
TAXI
Numerous colectivos (S10 to S15, two hours) to Arica, Chile, leave from the international terminal across the street from the terminal terrestre between 6am and 9pm, in order to cross the Chilean Border (8am-midnight Sun-Thu, 24hr Fri & Sat) during operating hours. On Friday and Saturday, taxis may be willing to take you at all hours of the night, but expect to pay over the odds. For border crossing formalities, see above.
Fast, though notoriously unsafe, colectivos to Moquegua (S15, 2½ hours) and sometimes Ilo leave when full from Mercado Grau, a short walk uphill from the terminal terrestre. Be sure to keep your wits about you in the dangerous market area.
TRAIN
Trains between Tacna’s train station (42-4981; Av 2 de Mayo) and Arica, Chile (S7 Monday to Friday, S9 Saturday, 1½ hours) are the cheapest and most charming but also the slowest way to cross the border. Your passport is stamped at the station before boarding the train in Tacna. There is no stop at the actual border and you receive your entry stamp when you arrive in Chile near Arica’s Plaza de Armas. Though this historic railway is a must for train buffs, service can be erratic and inconveniently timed. There’s usually one train in the early morning before dawn and another in the late afternoon. Tickets may be bought the same day, or reserved the day prior to traveling. Always double check at the station for the latest schedules.
Getting Around
A taxi between the airport and the city center costs about S5, or you can go from the airport to Arica, with stops at the border, for S120. Alternatively, walk out of the airport parking area and get the same cross-border service for half-price. A taxi from the center to the bus terminals costs about S2.50.
Return to beginning of chapter
Arequipa & Canyon Country
* * *
AREQUIPA
HISTORY
ORIENTATION
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
SIGHTS
ACTIVITIES
COURSES
TOURS & GUIDES
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
SLEEPING
EATING
DRINKING
ENTERTAINMENT
SHOPPING
GETTING THERE & AWAY
GETTING AROUND
CANYON COUNTRY
RESERVA NACIONAL SALINAS Y AGUADA BLANCA
CAÑÓN DEL COLCA
TORO MUERTO PETROGLYPHS
EL VALLE DE LOS VOLCANES
CAÑÓN DEL COTAHUASI
LAGUNA DE SALINAS
* * *
Return to beginning of chapter
The irresistibly sexy city of Arequipa, known as the Ciudad Blanca (White City), is surrounded by some of the wildest terrain in Peru. This is a land of active, snowy volcanoes, high-altitude deserts, thermal hot springs, salt lakes and, last but not least, the world’s deepest canyons.
Whether your heart desires trekking, mountain biking, river running (white-water rafting) or clambering up Andean peaks, Arequipa makes the perfect base camp. No other place in southern Peru delivers the best of both urban and outdoor life – you can slalom down a sandy volcanic summit and still be back in your colonial mansion guesthouse in time for a dinner of spicy arequipeño food and all-night dancing in a sizzling-hot nightclub.
Peru’s second-largest city is often dismissed as an overland layover en route from Nazca to Lake Titicaca and Cuzco. True, it’s an invaluable intermediate stop for acclimatization to high altitudes. But don’t leave before exploring the city itself, at least to wander down the hidden passageways of the Monasterio de Santa Catalina and marvel at the icy Inca mummies in the Museo Santury.
Don’t miss the spectacular landscape that surrounds the city either, not least the famous Cañón del Colca, shadowed by snow-topped volcanoes and possessing one of the best places to marvel at the flight of the Andean condor. More untrammeled roads, such as those in the Cañón del Cotahuasi, await adventurous souls, passing ancient ruins, waterfalls, hot springs and even dinosaur footprints. What more could you possibly ask for?
* * *