Tacna Overview

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Located 36 kilometers from the Chilean boarder, and 56 kilometers from the port of Arica, Tacna is an important commercial center frequented by Chileans in search of cheap medical and dental treatment. As Peru's southernmost city, Tacna is also a popular point for travelers to hop across the boarder to Chile.

From 1880 to 1929 Tacna was officially governed by Chile, until its people unanimously voted to return to Peru. This notorious vote gave Tacna its nickname, "Heroic Tacna." Just 8 kilometers away from the city, off the Panamericana Norte, is Campo de la Alianza, the site of a battle between Peru and Chile in 1880. The main points of interest in town are located in the Plaza de Armas. Facing the plaza is the cathedral, which was designed by the famous Gustave Eiffel. The bronze fountain located in the plaza was also designed by Eiffel, who designed similar ones for Buenos Aires, Lisbon, Paris, and nearby Moquegua.  Standing menacingly on either side of the Arca de los Héroes, a triumphal arch that serves as the city's symbol, are gigantic bronze statues of Admiral Grau and Colonel Bolognesi, two heroes of the War of the Pacific.