In Aymara “muddy, covered in mud”.
The Lluta Valley is located 10km North of Arica. It developed due to the river of the same name which runs through the valley and terminates in the Pacific Ocean. In the valley of Lluta, you can find huge geopglyphs (ancient stone images and wall paintings) on the flanks of the hills. They are said to date back to the years between 1100 until 1400 a.C., the time in which the region and local culture started to develop.
At the beginning of the valley, just a few meters away from the main road, there are the “colcas of Huaylacán”. This subterranean site consists of Stone walls which originally were built to store food, making it durable and protecting it from rodents.
The Lluta Valley forms the entry to the provinces of Parinacota and General Lagos in the Altiplano (highlands), and also gives way to the international route from Arica to La Paz, Bolivia. When departing from the city of Arica and driving northwards, you will pass the bridge over the mouth of the Lluta River (“Chaca-Lluta” in Aymara) and reach a roundabout, which indicates the route to the Chilean Altiplano.
The road takes you along the Lluta River, crossing it twice before you arrive in the small village of Poconchile.