Putre is a village in the Arica y Parinacota province of Chile. Putre is on the edge of the Lauca National Park, and is popular with visitors to the National Park wishing to acclimatize to the altitude.

At an altitude of 3,500 m (11,483 ft), the town is backdropped by Taapaca volcanic complex.

It is 130 km (81 mi) east of Arica.

Mr. Oriolf (+56 9 928 26 194) owns a tour company in town and is very friendly. He takes you through Parque Nacional Lauca (for about 45,000 pesos) and to Salar de Surire in groups up to five and shows you some off the track places. Of course, you see flamingos and alpacas as well. Terrace Lodge & Tours , in Putre, takes up to 4 persons to most places in this Region.

One of the tourist landmarks of the village is the O'Higgins, the oldest street which has a ditch (acequión) in the middle crossed by bridges of stone benches. Many houses in the urban space conserve carved stone portals and window sills from the 17th century, a time of greatest economic boom. However, the current buildings are mostly from the 19th century and these old decorative elements are reused, as is frequent in buildings in La Colonia.

From the town, you can see the terraces of the Chilcacahua river ravine (to the north), with plantations of alfalfa, oregano, potatoes and other vegetables. At the entrance to the town, corrals of llamas and alpacas can be seen, which are destined for export. The square has many trees and is very well cared for. Around it is the building of the municipality and the government, the Parinacota Radio station, the church and the parish house.

• Iglesia de San Ildefonso, Church of Putre: It was built in 1670 to replace the old church, destroyed by an earthquake and which, according to the chroniclers, was covered in gold and silver. Its stone façade, the choir and the exterior enclosure are the product of a restoration in 1871. The bell tower is older, of a date that is unknown. The access patio is paved in a mosaic style; the nave is made of adobe, whose structure is 33 m long and 6 m high. Its altar, with a light blue painted stone altarpiece, dates from 1895, while the choir has a stone access ladder, through the baptistery. It is a National Monument.

Go swimming in a hot pool at Termas de Jurasi (3000 pesos): the access road forks off from the main highway to Lauca National Park at a signposted junction a few kilometres above Putre, see map

The church's main religious festivals are Carnival, in February; the Virgen de la Asunta, on August 15; Cristo Rey, the last Sunday in October and Pachayampe (potato festival), the first week of November.

Items in alpaca wool.

Alpaca meat and "llaita" (fresh water algae) are two local specialties. There are several restaurants with standard "menu" set meals of typical Chilean fare for 5,000-5,500 pesos including soup. At least one of them is open until about 21:00.

"Mate de coca" and "mate de chachacoma" are local hot drinks to reduce the symptoms of the altitude sickness. Sometimes you can order a mix of these two plants.

The accommodation in Putre ranges from basic guesthouse with common bathroom, no breakfast and no heating, to more comfortable hostel or lodges. Due to the altitude (3,550 m) travellers with the budget for it prefer to spend the night in a comfortable room, possibly heated. In autumn and winter the outdoor temperatures at night are often below freezing.

If you intend to go hiking off the beaten track discuss your plans with local people or authorities. There are minefields in border areas.

As of April 2025, most cell providers have 4G service in the town, if not particularly fast (Movistar seems to be faster than Claro), and some of them in much of Lauca National Park as well. Accommodations generally offer wifi, but it may not be very good.