FAQ and travel tips for Arica and Putre

Frequently asked questions & travel tips for Arica and Putre	How to call Putre by telephone from Arica and other places? What should I bring on my trip to Lauca National Park? If we take a tour from Putre do we have to go back down to Arica to get a bus to La Paz? What's a Ramsar Site and why is it important that the Natural Monument Salar de Surire be protected? Where to change money in Arica Where to stay in Putre A good place to eat in Arica Can we rent a car in Putre? Best place to buy ice cream in Arica?
Must one travel through Santiago to get to northern Chile? No! When in the best time to come to northern Chile? Why should I be concerned about the high altitude? If the altitude doesn't agree with me, do I lose my tour payment? What is the exertion level in your nature tours? What happens if there is a road closure or bridge outage and we can't continue on the route previously decided upon? calendar Is there a place to change money in Putre? Can I use my bank card? NO
Getting to Arica without going through Santiago Try Lloyd Aereo Boliviano from Miami -- La Paz -- Arica. Try Lan Peru or American Airlines from Los Angeles or Miami to Lima/Tacna, take taxi the short distance from Tacna to Arica. Many travelers are concentrating on northern Chile and southern Peru and altiplano Bolivia these days. If you have no interest in seeing Santiago and it's smog, then try one of the above routes. If you must go through Santiago, be sure to get the details on the Lan Pass with Lan Chile for less expensive air flights within Chilean points, this must be purchased outside of Chile and in advance. Have a tip for avoiding Santiago and the waste of time and money it takes for flying so far out of your way? Send me the general route and airline and I'll suggest it in this space. top of page
	Vanessa carye, common in Putre
How strenuous are your nature tours? For the specialized nature and birding tours mostly we drive from place to place and take slow walks. The most strenuous factor is the altitude and reduced amount of oxygen which makes walking harder. The adventure tours can include a series of day treks, we customize these tours, please inquire.
Where to stay in Putre
If the altitude doesn't agree with me, do I lose my tour payment? If the client needs to descend from the higher elevations because of headache or other manifestation of high altitude sickness we will re-route the tour to interesting places at lower elevations. There will be no refund of tour fee. top of page
Can we rent a car in Putre? There are no car rental agencies in Putre.
What happens if there is a road closure or bridge outage and we can't continue on the route previously decided upon? If there is no way to continue on the route previously decided upon, we will re route the tour through interesting alternative places. There will be no refund of tour payment if a road is unexpectedly closed or if the weather is bad.
How to call Putre by telephone from Arica and other places? We now have working cell phones in Putre. So you can call Alto Andino Nature Tours by dialing 56 9 28 26 19 5. The country (Chile) area code is 56. top of page
If we take a tour from Putre do we have to go back to Arica to get a bus to La Paz? For those heading on to Bolivia after a tour, we will arrange passage to La Paz, Oruro or Cochabamba on a modern international bus that passes near Putre. FAQ list
When in the best time to come to the northern Chile area?
What should I bring on my trip to Lauca National Park?
Where to change money and cash travelers checks: In Arica go to Yanulaque Casa de Cambio at Colon and 21 de Mayo. Honest and usually the best prices. They accept euros. Don't forget that the exchange rate for dollar traveler's checks is usually much lower in northern Chile than it is in Santiago. In Putre there is a Banco Estado to change US dollars to pesos, but travelers' checks are usually not accepted. There is no money machine nor RED bank in Putre. It is nearly impossible to change bolivianos or soles in Putre. If you are coming to Chile from Bolivia by bus change some money to pesos at the Bolivian checkpoint before entering Chile. Traveler's Checks are really a huge hassle these days, no one wants them in the remote areas. Alto Andino Nature Tours in Putre does not accept Traveler's Checks. Look into drawing pesos from your bank accounts via the bank "money machines", before you get to Putre. FAQ list
A good place to eat in Arica For sandwiches, fruit plates, and juice drinks try La Scala on the corner of Bolognesi and 21 de Mayo. Try the "ave completo y jugo de guayaba con agua". Chicken sandwich with avocado and tomato, and a fruit drink made of the local guayaba fruit (guava). Ask them to make a "plato" if you don't want to attack a big sandwich. They prepare a good breakfast of eggs, bread, coffee, juice. Ask for "paila" and tell them how to cook the eggs, ie scrambled (revuelto). Good service, clean, dependable. top of page
Where is the best place to buy ice cream in Arica? No contest here: La Fontana on pedestrian way Bolognesi has home made "artesanal" ice cream and sherbets made of local fruits, along with traditional favorite flavors. top of page