Tacna Cathedral is a Neorenaissance religious building with a long construction history: work began in 1875 and was completed in 1954. Those interested in architecture and history will find here a striking example of religious architecture and a clearly dated chapter in the city’s history.

Construction history and historical memory

A decisive battle in the War of the Pacific took place at the site of the Battle of Alto de la Alianza on May 26, 1880. The complex includes a memorial monument, a site museum and a cemetery. In this way, the memory of the historical event is connected with the different elements of a place of remembrance.

Casa de la Comisión Jurídica also preserves history through specific documents and objects. The Museo de la Reincorporación displays an enlarged copy of the document transferring Tacna, along with documents, photographs, objects and publications about the occupation and Tacna’s reintegration into Peru. Every year on August 28 at 2 p.m., the return of Tacna to Peru after almost 50 years is reenacted there.

Museums offering different perspectives

The Museo Histórico Casa Zela takes visitors back to an earlier chapter: on June 20, 1811, the struggle for Peru’s independence began under the leadership of freedom fighter Francisco Antonio de Zela y Arizaga. In 1961, the house became a historical museum. The dates mark the time elapsed between the historical event and the house’s later designation as a museum.

At the Museo de Sitio Las Peañas in Pocollay, graves take center stage. The museum has two exhibition halls and an elevated wooden walkway from which visitors can view the graves in situ, that is, in their original location. In this way, the exhibition and the viewing of the archaeological site are part of the same museum experience.

The Museo Ferroviario Nacional de Tacna adds railway history to these themes. Its three exhibition rooms include a historical and documentary hall, as well as the Peru and Tacna-Arica halls. The names of the rooms alone point to their different thematic focuses.

The Tacna-Arica tourist train provides a unique link between Tacna and Arica: the route is 62 kilometers long. If you plan to take a trip, check the current schedule in advance.

Viticulture and agriculture

In Pocollay, Bodega Don Miguel preserves the artisanal winemaking tradition and produces wines, piscos and liqueurs from Italia grapes. Another agricultural tradition is associated with Pachía, where zapallos de carga squash and corn are grown. The two places thus represent different facets of regional produce, from winemaking to field crops.

A look at the Tacna region

At the regional level, ACR Vilacota Maure is a state-protected area in the Tacna region. It was established on August 27, 2009, by Supreme Decree No. 015-2009-MINAM and is managed by the Regional Government of Tacna. Its main objectives include protecting natural resources, biodiversity and cultural heritage in the region’s Andean ecosystem. The Valle de los Géiseres is also in the Tacna region: it is located in the Candarave District within the ACR. This regional conservation context has a different focus from the museums and historical sites: preserving natural resources, biodiversity and cultural heritage in the Andean ecosystem.

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