Putre , is a city and commune of the Province of Parinacota in the Région of Arica and Parinacota with more than 3500 meters of altitude (in the Chilean altiplano) and with 160 kilometers of Arica.

The commune of Putre has a surface of 5  092,5 km ² and a total population of 1.907 (1.235 live downtown). In this commune the National parks Lauca and Las Vicuñas are located.

In addition to the town of Putre, the commune includes/understands the villages of Tignamar, Socoroma, Belén, Caquena, Parinacota, Guallatiri and Chapiquiña

Etymology

Putre, will aymara some, means: Noise of Water.

Administration

Putre belongs to the Province of Parinacota and is in the electoral district nº 1 and with the 1st senatorial district (Tarapacá). It is represented with the House of Commons of the National congress by the deputies Ximena Valcarce etIván Paredes. In the same way, it is represented with the Senate by Sirs Jaime Orpis and Fernando Flores.

The commune of Putre is controlled by the mayor Francisco Humire Alejandro, which, it is associated by the following people with the council:

• Violeta Williams Bruna
• Eliseo Mamani Shocks
• Fidel Ventura Mollo
• Alicia Quispe Delgado
• Sergio Dini Valenzuela
• Genaro Yucra Gutiérrez

Tourist places

• the National park Lauca : Count a surface of 137.883 hectares. This world reserve of the biosphere includes/understands the précordillère and the altiplano is area of Arica and Parinacota. It has a dry climate with diurnal and night thermal variations very marked. It is characterized by a great wealth of flora and fauna, places of interests cultural and historical. In this park live more than 130 various species of birds, of various vicunas, viscaches and condors. One of the principal places of attractions is the marvellous Lac Chungará, one of highest in the world, which is with the feet of twin volcanos Payachata .

• the church of Parinacota : The church of Parinacota (national monument) is located in the Lauca National park. It is surrounded by a wall made up of stones and clay and painted in white, with lime of the bofedales . The three entries of the church have arcs and columns of volcanic stones pink. The imposing bell-tower, located beside the church, is separated from this one. The original church of 17th was rebuilt in 1789 and bleaches with lime; with a made roof of clay and straw. The interior walls of saturated fresh colors date from 17th and contain colonial Saints, who are in good state of conservation.

• the Lake Chungará : It has a surface of 21,5 km ² and a maximum depth of 33 Mr. Situé close to Ajata, his affluents principal are the rivers Chungará and Sopocalane. The birds and the mammals are, without any doubt, one of the reasons of the attraction of this national park, due to the variety of the species and the facility of their observation. There exists more than one about sixty species of birds in this park of which: the nandou or suri, the partridge of the altiplano, the Flamingo of Chile, the guallata , the Gull of the Andes, the Cormorant with brushes ( yeco ), the Foulque giantess ( tagua gigante ), the Condor or the duck with pointed tail. With regard to the mammals one finds the following: guanacos, vicunas, spangled, alpacas, tarucas , pumas, wolves and viscaches. The landscape of this park is varied and has mounts and plates of a great beauty. It is undoubtedly about the gravitational place of the Lauca National park. It is possible besides to visit it all during all the year.

• national Reserve mow Vicuñas : It is located in the commune of Putre, province of Parinacota, in the sub-area Altiplano and Puna, and the ecological area Estepa Altoandina (high-Andean steppe) between the 4.300 to 5.600 meters of altitude, and has a surface of 209.131 hectares. Its large surface is characterized by wide plains and reliefs precipice where appear the Arintica mounts and Puquintica of 5  990 and 5  780 meters. The zone of the reserve preserves various endemic plant species as well as a large variety of woodland fauna, of which the viscaches and the vicunas.