Arica

Arica reclines in a corner of the world where everything is extraordinary. Considered the "city of the eternal spring", with a wondrous temperate climate despite being on the edge of the rainless Atacama Desert. On the coast, strong winds carve away at the cliffs to create beautiful, natural cave systems. Turn inland and find yourself entering a moonscape to find the village of Codpa where shaman (medicine man) still reads futures and time stands still. Deeper inland and more surreal the desert preserves the oldest-known mummies, the Chinchorro, which are two thousand years older than those in Egypt. Yet, the most astonishing facts-of-art are the massive Presensias Tutelares Sculptures that evoke the spirit of pre-Columbian civilisations. Welcome to a world where past and present collide.