Official Language:
Spanish
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Currency:
Chilean Peso
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Population:
Approximately 226,000 people call Antofagasta home
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Weather:
Climate and current weather information for Antofagasta Chile: A Mediterranean climate with well-defined seasons. Spring months September through November are mild. Summer months December through February are dry and hot with temperatures that can reach over 87ºF/30°C. Nights cool down slightly.
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Antofagasta, is a city in northern Chile, and the capital of Antofagasta Province. It is one of the most populated cities in the country and the largest in northern Chile. After settlers arrived back in 1870, it grew rapidly as a result of the mining of rich deposits of nitrates from the adjacent Atacama Desert. The main exports are copper and nitrates. On the Pacific coastline of Chile, Antofagasta is the only city that has a protected harbor. It serves as a shipping center for domestic goods and for the products of Bolivia, to which it is linked by rail and highway routes. It is primarily the export point for minerals mined in the nearby Atacama Desert.
After the 19th century mining boom Antofagasta was established as the largest city of the Norte Grande region. Since then profitable nitrate mines of the last century have lured many foreign settlers to the city, and Antofagasta now has a somewhat European feel in its architecture and overall ambiance.
The worlds largest telescope is being built in mount Paranal 200 km / 124 mil. South of Antofagasta, as this area has the clearest skies of the world. There are only twenty days out of the year where there are clouds in the sky. An unlikely tourist destination, this port city (pop. 226,000) is rarely visited. It is primarily an export point for minerals mined in the nearby Atacama Desert. About the only thing that would make Antofagasta inviting to visitors is that it's a bit easier to get to than Calama, the other main city of the barren region. Sights in Antofagasta include La Portada Arch, a regional history museum and the Plaza Colon. Inside the plaza are monuments donated by the many different foreign communities of Antofagasta: a Slavic bandstand, a Spanish monument to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, and a British clock tower (a replica of London's Big Ben). 750 mi/1,200 km north of Santiago.
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Attractions |
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Barrio Històrico:
Home to many historic Victorian buildings, and the clock tower of the Plaza Colòn which is an exact replica of Big Ben.
Museo Regional:
This museum not only has exhibits on the history of the city and the mining industry, it also houses a colorful collection of rock and mineral samples from the surrounding region.
Chuquicamata:
This is the largest open-pit mine in the world.
Portada:
This is the highlight of the Antofagasta shoreline. Portada is an enormous rock located just to the north of town which has eroded into a dramatic natural arch.
Plaza Colon:
A must see! It is the main square where you will find monuments donated by foreign communities. These monuments include the Bandstand and the Clock Tower built with large ceramic blocks brought from England.
Baquedano:
Located northeast of Antofagasta, this crumbling roundhouse is at the old nitrate rail junction of Baquedano and is worth a stop for thos train enthusiasts.
Around the square, take a look at the Cathedral with beautiful vitreaux inside and the Municipal Theater. See the Plaza del Mercado (Market Square) with tall palms and a monument donated by the German community. On one side of it, a handicrafts market with high plateau textiles can be seen. In the historical quarter you will see the saltpeter dock; the buildings of the ex-Coast Guard and the ex -Port Authority, where the Regional Museum is located; the wooden ex-Railway Station; the fishing terminal, full of vessels; and a market. Following Argentina Avenue toward the south, you will arrive at The Huanchaca Ruins, a national monument and one of Antofagasta's most interesting buildings. Visit the silver refinery, built in 1888, a huge structure with several round furnaces built with English bricks. Driving along the coast to the opposite side of the city, you will see nice beaches on the way to La Portada, a symbol for the entire Region II.
Atacama Desert and Altiplano:
Northern Chile's monumental landscape is represented by the Atacama Desert, the driest on the planet. The area has no recorded rainfall! Its geography is unique and includes lagoons, volcanoes, salt flats, geysers, hot springs, rivers and ravines, together with widespread Spanish legacy of the XVI century, churches and saltpeter deposits. Earlier civilizations even left mummies, among the oldest in the World.
Salar de Atacama:
This vast salt lake is blanketed by a thick crust of salt and attracts some interesting varieties of birds including several different types of flamingos.
San Pedro sits on the edge of a gigantic mineralized lake that is covered in many parts by a weird, putty-colored crust. This salar, or salt flat, is a basin that collects water but has no outlet, leaving behind an accumulation of minerals, including a sizeable percentage of the world's lithium reserves. A highlight is a stop at the Flamingo Reserve near Solcor, which allows a chance to glimpse a few of the birds that come here to nest. There's also an interpretive center (no phone), open daily September through May 8:30am to 8pm, and June through August 8:30am to 7pm. To get here, head south toward Toconao, 33km (20 miles) from San Pedro. Once you've passed through Toconao, keep your eyes open for the entrance to the flamingo reserve signed Laguna Chaxa.
El Tatio, Antofagasta:
This incredible desert spectacle can only be viewed in the early morning, but the sight of the world’s highest geysers shooting up from the ground is well worth an early wake up call. El Tatio Geyser Field (locally known as Los Géiseres del Tatio) is located within the Andes Mountains of northern Chile at 4,200 meters above mean sea level, 150 kilometers east, southeast of Calama, Chile. With over 80 active geysers, El Tatio is the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere and the third largest field in the world, following Yellowstone, USA, and Dolina Giezerov, Russia. From March 19-21, 2002, the authors visited the geothermal field to inventory the geysers and their behavior. Of over 110 erupting springs documented, more than 80 were identified as true geysers and an additional 30 were perpetual spouters. Despite reports that geyser activity occurred only in the morning, no abatement in activity was observed at any time within any part of the field. Although the observed activity was vigorous, eruptions commonly reached less than one meter. Of the erupting springs cataloged, the mean spouting height was 69 cm. Of the true geysers cataloged, the eruptions averaged 76 cm / (31 Inches). El Tatio Geyser Field contains approximately 8 percent of the world’s geysers.
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More Information |
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Useful Links About Antofagasta Chile:
Antofagasta Chile Travel Information
Antofagasta Chile North - Central - South - Patagonia Travel Information
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