Its capital is the major port city of Talara.

The province has tourist attractions such as the Máncora beach resort, Cabo Blanco beach, Punta Balcones, Pariñas Forest, Amotape mountains, a whale fossils deposit, Plataforma del Zócalo Continental, Punta Arenas Houses, Talara Refinery and the Talara Civic Centre.

Punta Pariñas, the westernmost point in mainland South America, is located in the province's La Brea District.

The province of Talara has a yearly average temperature of 25 °C (77 °F).

The province is divided into six districts (Spanish: distritos, singular: distrito), each of which is headed by a mayor (alcalde): It is linked to the rest of the country by various highways and the Cap.