Chile, with its 6,435 kilometres of coastline, has some of the best beaches in Latin America and the world. Many national and international tourists enjoy their holidays in this country as it offers beaches for all tastes: rocky or fine white sand, in the middle of the city or hidden in the forests… If you are planning your holidays in Chile and you don’t want to miss its best beaches, we recommend you read on.
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Best beaches in northern Chile
1. El Laucho, Arica
El Laucho beach is located 2 kilometres from the city of Arica, in the middle of the Atacama Desert. Along with the Lisera beach, it is one of the beaches in Chile that is open all year round. One of its particularities are its strong currents called “El Buey” and “El Gringo”. They are considered among the 20 best in the world for surfing and other water sports. It is 450 metres long and perfect for swimming, as well as having restaurant services such as beach bars with sun loungers.
2. Playa de Chinchorro, Arica
In the centre of the city of Arica is the Chinchorro beach, with almost 2 kilometres of coastline where you can enjoy the sun and the good weather. Its main attractions are its strategic location, in an urban setting where you can also see mountains and cliffs, and its warm water that invites visitors to swim. In addition, in Chinchorro you can visit the boilers of the American ship Wateree, which in the 19th century was trapped inland due to a tidal wave.
3. Las Tacas, Coquimbo
Las Tacas beach in the province of Elqui, in Coquimbo, is another of the most visited beaches in Chile. Its crystal-clear waters and seabed teeming with sea life attract hundreds of tourists. Its fine white sand contrasts with the dark brown of the mountains that surround the beach and the colourful buildings that line the beachfront. As it is mainly a tourist spot, it has all kinds of services, from hotels and restaurants to small businesses offering kayak tours or diving sessions.
4. Totoralillo, the most beautiful beaches in Coquimbo, Chile
Totoralillo is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful and impressive beaches in Chile. Its orography makes it a dream beach. The coastline of white sand and black rocks stretches up to 2 kilometres long and has a sandy spit that goes deep into the sea and divides the beach in two. The turquoise green waters merge with the sea on the horizon and the rocky mountains that seem to protect it. Totoralillo beach has a small fishing cove where you can buy freshly caught fish. It is also the ideal place for surfing, as its waves are among the best in Chile. Another of the top activities for visitors is starfish and sunfish spotting, along with other marine species.
5. Playa Zapatilla, Atacama
Zapatilla beach is located in the city of Caldera in the Atacama region. It is a lovely beach where the land formations have created natural shallow pools where you can swim safely. In addition to the pools, one of its main attractions is its tranquillity and lack of tourists. This is mainly due to the fact that to reach it, you have to walk on foot along a dirt track for approximately 2 kilometres. But we assure you that the walk is well worth it. Zapatilla beach is a hidden treasure in Atacama.
6. Inglesa Bay, Atacama
As is typical of the beaches of the Atacama, Bahía Inglesa is a paradise in the middle of the desert. Its Pacific blue waters lap the coast and invite visitors from Caldera, a town 3.7 kilometres away, to swim and sunbathe. The warm wind that caresses this beach has turned it into a perfect place for kitesurfing.
A particularly interesting place in Bahía Inglesa is Las Piscinas, where, just like in Zapatilla, the rocks have formed small pools in which to bathe.
7. La Virgen, Atacama
Thirty-five kilometres from Bahía Inglesa is a cove with crystal clear waters, white sand and grey rock. This is La Virgen, a beach with warm water, which is worth going to spend the day or even the night in one of the nearby campsites. The remoteness of this beach and the fact that it is not served by public transport make it a quiet place to enjoy the sea and the Chilean sun. As its name might make you imagine, it is a fairly unspoilt beach where there are hardly any services. There are only a few toilets, a restaurant and a kiosk where you can buy something to drink.
8. Playa Hornitos, Antofagasta
Los Hornos and Punta Hornos are the two beaches that make up the beautiful area of Hornitos, located 90 kilometres north of the city of Antofagasta. Besides having intense blue water and striking white sand, as is often the case with beaches in Chile, it has a peculiarity: the impressive wall of cliffs that borders it.
9. Cavancha, the best beaches in Iquique, Chile
Iquique, home to Chile’s largest fishing port, has several beaches worth visiting. However, the one that stands out above the rest is Cavancha beach, just a few metres from the historic centre of the city. Being in the centre, it has all kinds of amenities for tourists: bars and restaurants, hotels, sun lounger rental, children’s playground, etc… It also has a beautiful promenade and gardens right on the beach.
Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.
Best beaches in central and southern Chile
1. Reñaca, Viña del Mar
Just over 5 kilometres from the centre of Viña del Mar is Reñaca, a town with one of the most popular beaches in Chile. Reñaca beach is known not only for its blue waters and young atmosphere, but also for the curious architecture that surrounds it. The buildings are adapted to the hilly landscape of Valparaíso, with white terraces that are sure to impress you.
2. Playa de los Enamorados, Quintero
Playa de los Enamorados is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful beaches in Chile. Its name was not chosen at random, meaning “Lovers’ Beach”. It is a small, quiet beach in an idyllic enclave, surrounded by vegetation and sheltered by cliffs that make it an intimate and romantic place.
3. Playa Mirasol, Algarrobo
Mirasol beach is the best place to spend hot summer mornings in Algarrobo. It is close to the town centre, but it is still a quiet place to relax in the sun. From the viewpoint of Promontorio Cantalao you can see the beautiful contrast between the yellow sand and the deep blue water, as well as one of the biggest attractions of this beach: the Cueva del Pirata (Pirate’s Cave). This is a cave in which, according to legend, Richard Hawkins and other pirates used to hide their treasures.
4. Playa Las Sirenas, Pelluhue
Playa de las Sirenas beach is located in the municipality of Pelluhue in the town of Curanipe, in the south of the country. Besides being a quiet beach surrounded by vegetation, it is mainly known for its fishing. Therefore, it is essential to try the freshly caught fish in one of this beach’s restaurants. Playa de las Sirenas is also ideal for water sports, especially in summer when the Open Surf Curanipe takes place.
5. Los Lagos region
The Los Lagos region is home to some of Chile’s most impressive natural sites and some of the best beaches. Examples include the beaches of Frutillar, Bahía Mansa and the Mapu Lahual Park, a protected indigenous area.
How to organise your trip to the best beaches in Chile?
- Get inspiration from the experiences of other travellers.
- Create your own itinerary and add the app’s suggestions to it.
- Add the spots you are most interested in, as well as the restaurants and bars where you want to eat (you can use the points of interest listed in this post as a reference).
- Organise your itinerary by days and according to their location (you can take inspiration from the routes presented in the post).
- Check the travel budget that the app calculates for you based on your travel stops, restaurants, and leisure activities.
- Make the necessary modifications and you are ready for your trip.
- Finally, share your experience. Upload photos of each of the places you have visited to the app so you can inspire other users.
If you have any doubts about how to plan your itinerary, you can read our post: How to create your travel itinerary with Passporter.
Frequently asked questions about the best beaches in Chile
El Canelo and El Canelillo, in Algarrobo. 110 kilometres from the capital of Chile, the beaches of El Canelo and El Canelillo are some of the best beaches in Chile and the closest to Santiago. A few years ago, they were two paradise beaches in a breathtaking natural setting, bordered by rocky cliffs and practically tucked inside the forest. In recent years, however, large buildings have been built on the beachfront for tourists and holidaymakers.
Chile is a country full of incredible destinations where you can spend your summer holidays; however, some are more popular than others among tourists and Chileans. The cities that welcome the most holidaymakers are Viña del Mar, Valparaíso and Iquique. As for natural sites, the most visited are the Atacama Desert, Torres del Paine National Park and Easter Island.
The Atacama beaches of Bahía Inglesa and Zapatilla are especially recommended if you are travelling with children. This is because the pools that form there are very safe for swimming, where the water isn’t very deep and there is no risk for small children who cannot swim.
1 Comment
Kira
26 de March de 2024 at 12:43 amThanks so much this helped a lot as we are leaving to spend a week of vacation in chile!!