Catedral San Marcos de Arica
Standing on Plaza Colón at the heart of the city, Arica's cathedral is one of the most architecturally surprising buildings in South America: a prefabricated iron structure designed and manufactured by Gustave Eiffel's workshops in Paris, shipped across the Atlantic, and bolted together on Chilean soil in 1876. Yes, the man who built the tower also built this.
An Iron Church Born in Paris
The original cathedral was destroyed by the catastrophic 1868 earthquake, and the Chilean government commissioned Eiffel's company to design a replacement that could withstand future tremors. The result is a completely metallic structure — walls, roof and all — painted a cool dove-grey and trimmed in white, with neo-Gothic arches that give it an almost weightless elegance.
It was inaugurated in 1876 and is now a Chilean National Historic Monument. Step inside and tap the wall: the hollow metallic ring reminds you that this is no ordinary stone church.
Plaza Colón and the Surrounding Quarter
The cathedral anchors Plaza Colón, a palm-lined square that is the social heart of Arica. Sit on a bench here and you'll watch locals from every walk of life pass through — schoolchildren, market vendors, surfers heading to the beach, Aymara women in traditional dress.
Two other Eiffel-company buildings stand nearby: the old Customs House (Ex Aduana), now the Casa de la Cultura, and the former railway station. Together they form a compact heritage quarter that can be explored in under an hour on foot.
Catedral San Marcos de Arica on video
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