Azapa Valley
Encyclopedia
Azapa Valley in Chile
is a fertile and narrow oasis
, framed between two sere hills and divided by the summer season-running "San Jose" river . It is located three kilometers from Arica
. This jewel of the north has a unique climate that permits the farming of a great variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the year, in addition to the unique olive
s of Azapa, famous for their violet color and bitter flavor that also give birth to a strong-tasting oil.
, a town full of craftsmen. From Hualles Street to passages around the Manuel Castillo Ibaceta roundhouse, one may find a diverse array of crafts available to tourists (and crafted on site) of stone sculpture and wood, archaeological reproductions, ocarinas, archaeological ceramics from the north of Chile, designs on fabric, weavings, seaweed, utilitarian and decorative ceramics, as well as crafts and sculptures in metals.
In addition, a regionally famous restaurant, "the Inn", offers typical Chilean meals as well as international cuisine. It is open Monday through Sunday, 9:30am to 1:30pm (closed for siesta
!)and 3:30pm to 8:00pm. The rest of the region offers other attractions, such as Chuño Hill, a place of many petroglyphs, and the Gorge of Acha, with its geoglyphs and their prehistoric camps.
caravans, which brought products of the highlands such as meat, charqui, quínoa, wool, etc., down into the lowlands. This valuable merchandise was traded for the products made by the populations of the low, coastal valleys: maize, red pepper, fish and seafood. Atoca, figures made of stone, represent a typical caravan of llamas with their guide, preceded by two dancers with anthropomorphous characteristics, and depict scenes of the caravan traffic that was carried out between coastal peoples and the peoples of the highlands.
Among sacred hills in the region of Pampas Alto Ramirez are impressive geoglyphs and other artifacts memorialize diverse settlements from the beginnings of agriculture to the present time. The panel of geoglyphs correspond to the time of Inca regional influence and development (1,000 - 1,400 AD) and human and animal figures of the area: camelidaes, serpents, lizards, etc.
. This museum presents a complete vision of the cultural and anthropological development of the region for the past 10,000 years. Chinchorro mummies are exhibited in the museum. A visit here allows to know some of the history of this corner of the world.
of Las Peñas (The Rocks), a celebration which happens between the first Sunday of October and December 8 of every year.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
is a fertile and narrow oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
, framed between two sere hills and divided by the summer season-running "San Jose" river . It is located three kilometers from Arica
Arica, Chile
Arica is a commune and a port city with a population of 185,269 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica and Parinacota Region, located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the capital of both the Arica Province and the Arica and Parinacota Region...
. This jewel of the north has a unique climate that permits the farming of a great variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the year, in addition to the unique olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
s of Azapa, famous for their violet color and bitter flavor that also give birth to a strong-tasting oil.
Parinacota
One of Azapa's more interesting places is the hometown of artisan Jose Raul Naranjo Meneses, the Andean resort town of ParinacotaParinacota, Chile
Parinacota is a small Chilean hamlet in Putre, Parinacota Province, Arica and Parinacota Region.-Location:It is situated on the highlands at a height of 4,400 m in Lauca National Park near the small town of Putre and had 29 inhabitants as of 2002.-Church:The church was built in the 17th century in...
, a town full of craftsmen. From Hualles Street to passages around the Manuel Castillo Ibaceta roundhouse, one may find a diverse array of crafts available to tourists (and crafted on site) of stone sculpture and wood, archaeological reproductions, ocarinas, archaeological ceramics from the north of Chile, designs on fabric, weavings, seaweed, utilitarian and decorative ceramics, as well as crafts and sculptures in metals.
In addition, a regionally famous restaurant, "the Inn", offers typical Chilean meals as well as international cuisine. It is open Monday through Sunday, 9:30am to 1:30pm (closed for siesta
Siesta
A siesta is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those where the weather is warm....
!)and 3:30pm to 8:00pm. The rest of the region offers other attractions, such as Chuño Hill, a place of many petroglyphs, and the Gorge of Acha, with its geoglyphs and their prehistoric camps.
Cerro Sombrero
Another location, the Cerro Sombrero (Hat Hill) boasts geoglyphs and a pre-Hispanic village perched on the side of the hill and made up of wood dwellings surmounting natural stone terraces. Historical studies have indicated that this establishment had as many as 500 houses between 1000 and 1400 A.D., a significant era of regional developments within Arica culture. The occupants of these constructs were agriculturists who maintained a substantial commercial exchange with Andean highland producers of cattle. This commerce took place by means of llamaLlama
The llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since pre-Hispanic times....
caravans, which brought products of the highlands such as meat, charqui, quínoa, wool, etc., down into the lowlands. This valuable merchandise was traded for the products made by the populations of the low, coastal valleys: maize, red pepper, fish and seafood. Atoca, figures made of stone, represent a typical caravan of llamas with their guide, preceded by two dancers with anthropomorphous characteristics, and depict scenes of the caravan traffic that was carried out between coastal peoples and the peoples of the highlands.
Among sacred hills in the region of Pampas Alto Ramirez are impressive geoglyphs and other artifacts memorialize diverse settlements from the beginnings of agriculture to the present time. The panel of geoglyphs correspond to the time of Inca regional influence and development (1,000 - 1,400 AD) and human and animal figures of the area: camelidaes, serpents, lizards, etc.
San Miguel de Azapa Knolls
Type of grave in the form of little hills (túmulos) through the successive accumulation of layers of sand and vegetal fiber litter.San Miguel de Azapa
This town is located about 12 km from Arica and is surrounded by beautiful agricultural environs; it survives as a breeding ground of subtropical plants, túmulos and features the Archaeological Museum of San Miguel de Azapa, a museum associated with the Universidad de TarapacáUniversidad de Tarapacá
University of Tarapacá is a university in Arica, Chile. It is a derivative university part of the Chilean Traditional Universities. The university publishes Revista Chungará a journal on anthropology and archaeology.-External links:...
. This museum presents a complete vision of the cultural and anthropological development of the region for the past 10,000 years. Chinchorro mummies are exhibited in the museum. A visit here allows to know some of the history of this corner of the world.
Las Peñas of Livilcar Sanctuary
Located approximately 80 km from Arica, it is the scene of the celebration of the Virgin of the RosaryRosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
of Las Peñas (The Rocks), a celebration which happens between the first Sunday of October and December 8 of every year.