Playa Chinchorro, Sandy beach in Arica, Chile.

Playa Chinchorro is a long sandy beach on the Pacific coast north of downtown Arica, featuring gentle waves and warm water throughout the year. Hotels, restaurants, and recreational facilities line the beachfront, creating a developed stretch of coastline.

The beach takes its name from the Chinchorro, the fishing people who lived along this coast for millennia. In 1868 an earthquake and tsunami at Arica carried the American ship Wateree ashore; its rusted boilers still lie more than 800 metres inland, visible from the sand.

The beach shares its name with the Chinchorro, the fishing people of this coast known for the world's oldest deliberately mummified human remains, dated to around 5000 BC. Their mummies are displayed in Arica's Museo Arqueológico San Miguel de Azapa, a short trip inland from the beach.

The beach is located just a couple of kilometers from downtown Arica and offers convenient parking areas throughout the length of the shoreline. Sports equipment and recreational facilities are available along the beach and can be used freely by visitors.

The boilers of the American ship Wateree, carried inland by the 1868 Arica earthquake and tsunami, still lie stranded more than 800 metres from the sea, visible from the beach.