CityOutline guide

Putre

Town and commune in Chile

Photo: via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Overview

Putre is a village in the Arica y Parinacota province of Chile. Putre is on the edge of the Lauca National Park, and is popular with visitors to the National Park wishing to acclimatize to the altitude.

Where to eat, drink and stay

Sleep4 places

Budget

Hostal CaliFrom 25,000 pesos for one person with shared bathroom
Rustic but tidy, bright, and clean guesthouse. Rooms with window to sunny courtyard. No heating in rooms, but pretty good hot shower.
Price
From 25,000 pesos for one person with shared bathroom
Hotel Cumbre Real37,000 pesos for one person including breakfast; may have something as low as 25,000 pesos if you ask
Price
37,000 pesos for one person including breakfast; may have something as low as 25,000 pesos if you ask
Phone
+56 9 9011 0702

Splurge

La Chakana
It consists of a couple of bungalows in a quiet setting about 10 min by foot from the village centre. Each has a spacious room with heating and bathroom. The breakfast is unusually rich with different kinds of cereals, marmalade, cheese and sausage plus fruit juice and yoghurt.
Phone
+56 9 9745 9519
Website
la-chakana.com
Terrace Lodge & Tours
It has twin and double rooms with heating, en-suite bathroom and other amenities.
Website
terracelodge.com

Getting there and around

Getting there

By bus
By taxi
From Arica, the fare is around 70,000 pesos.
By car
From Arica it's about 140 km on the national highway 11.

Read in the guide

Getting around

Mr. Oriolf (+56 9 928 26 194) owns a tour company in town and is very friendly.

Read in the guide

Airports and nearby hotels

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Coronel FAP Carlos Ciriani Santa Rosa International Airport

Tacna · Regional · TCQ

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Read before you go to Putre

Articles and travel topics about Putre and Chile.

Nature & adventure

Chilean national parks

Chile is one of the most ecologically diverse countries in the world – no other country is as elongated but narrow as Chile.

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Travel tips

Driving in Chile

Because only Santiago has a good public transport network, and there is only very little of the passenger rail network, driving is a must if you want to see the beauty of Chile.

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Nature & adventure

Fjords

Fjords or fiords are long narrow inlets of the ocean often with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. The two countries that are most known for their fjords are Norway and Canada, with New Zealand, Chile,…

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Travel tips

Driving

Driving a car gives a traveller more independence and flexibility than scheduled transportation, such as air travel, rail travel, or bus travel, and may be faster or more comfortable than cycling.

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Full travel guide

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UnderstandAt an altitude of 3,500 m (11,483 ft), the town is backdropped by Taapaca volcanic complex.

Get inFrom Arica, the fare is around 70,000 pesos.

Get aroundMr. Oriolf (+56 9 928 26 194) owns a tour company in town and is very friendly.

SeeOne of the tourist landmarks of the village is the O'Higgins, the oldest street which has a ditch (acequión) in the middle crossed by bridges of stone benches.

DoGo swimming in a hot pool at Termas de Jurasi (3000 pesos): the access road forks off from the main highway to Lauca National Park at a signposted junction a few kilometres above Putre, see map

Buy

EatAlpaca meat and "llaita" (fresh water algae) are two local specialties. There are several restaurants with standard "menu" set meals of typical Chilean fare for 5,000-5,500 pesos including soup.

Drink"Mate de coca" and "mate de chachacoma" are local hot drinks to reduce the symptoms of the altitude sickness. Sometimes you can order a mix of these two plants.

SleepThe accommodation in Putre ranges from basic guesthouse with common bathroom, no breakfast and no heating, to more comfortable hostel or lodges.

Stay safeIf you intend to go hiking off the beaten track discuss your plans with local people or authorities. There are minefields in border areas.

ConnectAs of April 2025, most cell providers have 4G service in the town, if not particularly fast (Movistar seems to be faster than Claro), and some of them in much of Lauca National Park as well.

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Putre" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Putre", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: Putre.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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