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Tacna
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

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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.


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Things to do in Tacna

Train across the Northern Atacama Desert

Few ordinary, working-class trains run anymore in Peru. An even rarer ride is the international railroad, crossing from one country to another. But from Tacna to Arica, Chile, departs what is called ...
Other Activity
Tacna, Peru

Casa de Zela

History fiends should head to Casa de Zela, one of the oldest colonial houses in Tacna, and home to Francisco Antonio de Zela y Arizaga, who shouted Peru’s first cry for independence in 1811. ...
Historical Building
Tacna, Peru

Museo Postal y Filtélico

Stop into the small museum with the first hundred stamps of Peru, stamps from around the world and postal implements from the past century. ...
Museum
Tacna, Peru

Other Museums in Tacna

Tacna has a surprising number of museums, enough to fill a day or two of sightseeing. Most feature the players important to Tacna’s struggle for independence, but a few surprises await the ...
Museum
Tacna, Peru

Paseo Bolognesi

The commercial artery of Tacna is Av. Bolognesi. In the center of the broad boulevard is a several-kilometer-long park, the Paseo Bolognesi. To stroll down the palm-lined Paseo is to walk through ...
City Walk
Tacna, Peru

San Francisco de Miculla Petroglyphs

Close to Tacna (22 kilometers/ 13.5 miles) are the San Francisco de Miculla Petroglyphs. The drawings are of dancing, fighting and people hunting animals. The age of the petroglyphs is a point of ...
Ruin
Tacna, Peru

Calientes

For those wanting to get out of the city for a bit and relax, the baths of Calientes are a good option. The waters of the baths are said to have medicinal qualities and are supposed to be good for ...
Spa/Hot Springs
Tacna, Peru

Museo Histórico Regional

The Museo Regional Histórico (also known as La Casa de Cultura) serves as both public library and museum, and houses local pre-Inca artefacts and massive oil paintings depicting the War of the ...
Museum
Tacna, Peru

Boca del Río and Other Beaches

Tacna has its own beaches to which its denizens escape the sweltering summer months. The air may be hot, but the water of the Pacific along this coast is cold. A dip into the surf is refreshing. ...
Beach
Tacna, Peru

Centro Cultural Teatro Orfeón

Teatro Orfeón, constructed in 1848, is Tacna’s oldest theater. Unlike most playhouses we know today, with rows of seating facing the stage in front, the Orfeón was designed along traditional ...
Movie & Theater
Tacna, Peru

Humedales de Ite

Humedales de Ite, 90 kilometers (54 miles) north of Tacna, is Peru’s largest wetlands. In part a man-made swamp (from mining activities in the early 1960s), these humedales now cover 1360 hectares ...
Birdwatching
Tacna, Peru
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