This beautiful and small Andean village of pre-Columbian origin is located 30km away from Putre, in the Arica and Parinacota Region at 3.060m above sea level. It is known for its colonial architecture and for having been a stop-over of the Spanish who traveled between Arica and Potosí.
Today, 132 people inhabit the village. Most of them dedicate their lives to the cultivation of the agricultural terraces surrounding the settlement.
One of the most important buildings within the village is the Church of San Francisco, which in 1560 was constructed on an artificial platform, allowing it to oversee the cultivated terraces. It has been partially destructed several times through fires and earthquakes, but was always rebuilt in the same place next to the bell tower and the cemetery. Originally, the church was constructed in an Andean baroque style, but due to the restorations has evolved into a more republican neoclassic appearance.
The climate in Socoroma is characterized by the desert and the altitude, which is why thereis almost no precipitation during the year. The temperature usually fluctuates between 2 and 16°C.