Lauca is a national park in Chile high in the Andes near the border with Bolivia. It has prolific fauna and gorgeous views of snowcapped volcanoes.
The beach at Arica
Lauca is easily reached from Arica on one, or two day tours, or by local bus. The journey upto the park is through a very dry desert region to the altiplano, which is largely treeless high altitude region with patches of grassland. Arica is also a nice clean well organized city in the very north of Chile near the border with Peru. It is a customs-free port, and there are many Bolivia and Peruvian tourists here for shopping. There are also fair beaches here for swimming. I found the water a bit chilly and dirty.
Favourite spots:
Lago Chugara
My favorite spot was the area by Lake Chungara where I could see seven snowcapped volcanes at one time. The guides kept saying how it was the highest navigatable lake in the world, but it was a small lake with no boats on it.
What's really great:
Llamas and Alpacas
I took the one day tour to see Lauca. It was a great tour ,but the area definitely calls for more time to see the wildlife ,and do some hiking in this beautiful area. Seeing numerous llamas, alpaca, and vizcocha in this incredible natural habitat was the highlight of my trip here.
Sights:
desert on Lauca tour
The desert on the way to the park is also interesting with many types of cacti.
Accommodations:
Volcanoes!
I stayed in Arica which has many nice hotels and hostels. Near the entrance gate to Lauca is the small town of Putre which also has accomodation. In addition, the park has huts which I think need to be reserved well in advance.
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