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In front of the Morro de Arica there is, contained in an island, one of the most picturesque stories that the north of Chile has; it deals with fishermen, scorpions, surfers and sailors.



At first glance, more than an island, the place looks like a peninsula or end of continental land that is reached by a small path. But it's not like that. A 460-meter channel separated it from the continent and in 1964 the Chilean authorities decided to definitively unite it to the continent and put a lighthouse on it to guide the ships at night. Legends and some anecdotes tell that for many years the uncertainty to see what was in it was such that different fishermen came to unearth some treasure supposedly hidden by pirates.



It is said that, on the other hand, they only found scorpions and scorpions (which gave rise to the name of the island), as well as pulleys, hooks, hooks and harpoons belonging to the first inhabitants of the region who hunted large whales.



Once the island definitively communicated with the mainland, hundreds were the curious who, encouraged by the legend, began to look and even move the large stones in search of treasure. Of course, it never appeared. Today, far from those years, the island is a place of worship for fishermen (as it was a long time ago) who can cast great distances in search of fish of high sport value.



Others who enjoy this place are surfers, since by the action of the breakwater the sea forms the best waves, many of them with tube, ideal for surfing and other water sports.















































Manuel Thompsom arica



By plane

There are daily frequencies from the Santiago de Chile airport and from Iquique. You can also travel on flights from Peru. Check the departure times.



By car

If you are in Peru, you must cross the Chilean customs which is 19 km away. from Arica.

If you are traveling from the south, you should consider that the closest city is Iquique and that it is 307 km away. from Arica traveling through a very arid area.



By bus

There are daily frequencies from Santiago and Iquique that arrive at the National Rodoviario Terminal on Avenida Diego Portales when arriving in Santa María. There are also daily frequencies from Tacna that arrive at the International Rodoviario Terminal, next to the national one.











While the adrenaline runs on one side of the island, on the other the sea calms down to give rise to a club of yachts and sailboats where hundreds of boats rest, most of them untied on weekends to lose themselves in the blue immensity.



The lighthouse, of singular beauty, is accompanied by the tutelary presence of the hill, the port, the Christ and the beauty of the city, which managed to annex this island that is an aphrodisiac by day and becomes magical at night.

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