South Coast - Peru - page 282

Faster, slightly pricier colectivos to Tacna and sometimes Moquegua leave when full
from the side streets near the smaller bus stations.

Tacna

052 / POP 262,700 / ELEV 460M
Patriotism puts up a steely rearguard action in Tacna (population 262,700), Peru's most
southerly settlement, a city that belonged to Chile as recently as 1929 (a young Salvador
Allende lived here for eight of his childhood years), but is now proudly and unequivocally
part of Peru. Just in case you forget, there's an earnest flag-raising ceremony every
Sunday morning in the main plaza, plus a raft of heroic statues, leafy avenues and hyper-
bolic museum exhibits all dedicated to Peru's glorious past.
For outsiders, Tacna's primary role is as a staging post on the way to its former nemes-
is, Chile. Cordial modern relations between the two countries make the border crossing a
comparative breeze. If you're delayed in town, a trio of small museums and some Euro-
phile bars and restaurants will smooth the wait.

Sights & Activities

SQUARE

Plaza de Armas
Tacna's main plaza, which is studded with palm trees and large pergolas topped by bizarre
mushroom-like bushes, is a popular meeting place and has a patriotic flag-raising cere-
mony every Sunday morning. The plaza, famously pictured on the front of Peru's S100
note, features a huge arch - a monument to the heroes of the War of the Pacific. It is
flanked by larger-than-life bronze statues of Admiral Grau and Colonel Bolognesi.
Nearby, the 6m-high bronze fountain was created by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel,
who also designed the cathedral Offline map Google map , noted for its small but fine
stained-glass windows and onyx high altar.