When leaving the city of Arica towards the Azapa Valley, you will pass a place that combines all colors, smells and tastes of the freshest fruits and vegetables of the region. Guava, mango and passion fruit are only some of the tropical fruits to be found. Especially famous are also the Azapa olives. Without doubt, this market is one of the most beautiful ones of Chile.
The market, also known as “The Agro”, has more than 600 stalls with fruits and vegetables, butcher shops, restaurants and florists. Every day of the year, the convenient prices and great variety of the market attract Ariqueños, Peruvians, Bolivians and tourists. Thirty-one years ago, the market was founded as an initiative of merchants and farmers of the surrounding valleys. Today, it is the most important central market of the Northern region of Chile.
As soon as you enter the market, you will discover that it is one of the most varied markets of the country. The bamboo roof allows thin rays of sun to illuminate the numerous fruits of the fertile valleys, fresh products that grow and defy the aridness of the desert.
If you want to discover typical products and explore the tastes of the region, come and visit the Terminal Asoagro of Arica. But not only that: the market is also a place of cultural exchange. Between the stalls you will find inhabitants of the Altiplano villages, welcoming you with their colorful dresses and shy but friendly smiles.