Moquegua lies in the middle of Peru's southern desert, at the point
where the Atacama desert begins - the driest desert on earth. Moquegua
is the capital of the department with the same name. It has a
population of about 10,000 and lies at 1,400 m above sealevel. The
Río Moquegua gives the city its water, and makes agriculture
possible. Moquegua is known for its avocados and grapes, used for the
production of excellent wine and pisco. The city is quiet and colonial;
many houses have roofs of sugarcane mixed with dry mud. Moquegua is not
a main tourist site, but it offers the visitor a nice place to relax.
Moquegua is connected with Arequipa
in the north and Tacna in the south,
as well as the coastal city of Ilo in
the southwest. Unfortunately, the city suffered severe damage from a
major earthquake in 2001 which hit Arequipa as well.
