Iquique is a port city located in the Tarapacá region of Chile’s Norte Grande, 1787 kilometres from Santiago. Its warm climate all year round, its long beach with gardens and turquoise water and its friendly and cosmopolitan atmosphere are just some of its attractions. We invite you to discover all the things to do in Iquique to make the most of your trip.
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Things to do on your trip to Iquique, Chile
Paseo Baquedano
Paseo Baquedano is Iquique’s main street in its historic centre. It is mainly characterised by its well-kept buildings built between 1880 and 1920 by foreign families from England and the United States who brought over their countries’ architecture. On this street you can find some of Iquique’s essential stops such as the Plaza de Arturo Prat where the iconic Clock Tower is located.
Another attraction of this promenade is the large number of places where you can eat and enjoy Chilean cuisine or simply sit down to rest and have a drink. A good way to get to know Paseo Baquedano, and free of charge, is to take the beautiful wooden tram that runs along it.
The Clock Tower
This structure is without a doubt the symbol of the city of Iquique. It is a tall white Oregon pine tower in an eclectic style that mixes Gothic and Islamic features. It was built in 1878 when Iquique belonged to Peru, but was placed in the centre of the Plaza del Prat in 1884 when it became part of Chile after the 1880 War of the Pacific. Therefore the Clock Tower represents the grandeur and boom of the city, which grew enormously in the late 19th century thanks to the saltpetre industry and the arrival of domestic and international immigrants.
Cavancha Beach, the best beach in Iquique, Chile
The port city of Iquique 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 rentals, children’s playgrounds, etc. It also has a beautiful promenade and gardens right on the beach. The beaches of Playa Brava and Chavanayita are also worth a visit if you have enough time.
Corbeta Esmeralda Museum
This museum is a full-scale representation of the Corbeta Esmeralda, a ship that provided important services to the Chilean Navy for twenty-three years. The Esmeralda, captained by Arturo Prat Chacón, sank with its crew in the waters of Iquique in 1879. It was during the Naval Battle of Iquique against the Peruvian ship “Huáscar”.
If you wish, you can also book a guided boat tour to the exact spot of the shipwreck. Boats leave every 30 minutes and cost 3000$ CLP (€3.17) and 2000$ CLP (€2.11) for children under 9 years old.
Regional Museum of Iquique, Chile
Located on Baquedano Street, the Regional Museum has an interesting collection of archaeological artefacts from the local cultures, especially the Chinchorro. This is an essential visit if you want to learn about the anthropological and cultural evolution of Iquique and the Chilean Altiplano. Free entry.
Tuesday to Thursday from 09:00 to 17:00 (16:30 last entry, exit 17:15)
Friday from 09:00 to 16:00 (15:30 last entry, exit 16:15)
Saturdays from 10:00 to 13:50 (13:15 last entry, exit 13:50)
Zofri Mall
This shopping centre is the best place to go shopping in Iquique and get souvenirs before returning home. The name of the shopping centre stands for Zona Franca de Iquique, and here you can find all kinds of duty-free products for sale. Make the most of your trip to Iquique to buy electronics, perfumes and clothes at a much lower price.
Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 / Saturday from 09:00 to 13:00.
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.
Things to do around Iquique, Chile
Cerro Dragón
Cerro Dragón is a dune located on the outskirts of Iquique and is one of the city’s main attractions. This dune was declared a Nature Sanctuary in 2005 in order to protect it from urban development. It is 320 metres above sea level and offers the best views of the city of Iquique. Popular activities at Cerro Dragón include adventure sports such as sandboarding and paragliding. There are several companies that organise these activities for the more daring traveller.
Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpetre mines
Humberstone and Santa Laura are two former saltpetre works that are National Monuments and World Heritage Sites. They are located in the commune of Pozo Almonte, 48 kilometres east of Iquique. These old saltpetre works have the power to take you back in time, to Iquique’s era of grandeur, and make you feel part of it.
Geoglyphs of Pintados
95 kilometres from Iquique are the geoglyphs of the locality of Pintados, also in the commune of Pozo Almonte. There are more than 450 geometric and anthropomorphic figures spread over 3 kilometres of road. The figures were engraved on hillsides between 700 and 1500 A.D. probably by the Tiwanaku people. It is believed that they served as guides for travellers, to mark territory or to mark water crossings.
La Tirana, a beautiful village near Iquique, Chile
This town in Pozo Almonte is 80 kilometres from Iquique and home to the most spectacular festival in Chile. The festivities of La Tirana are held from the 12th to the 18th of July in honour of the Virgen del Carmen and bring together more than 200,000 people for their dances, music and colour.
Salar de Huasco National Park
The Salar de Huasco is 176 kilometres from Iquique. This impressive wetland is the ideal place to see Chile’s flora and fauna first hand, where viscachas, flamingos and llamas, among others, can be seen up close. There are several tours that take you from your hotel in Iquique to this National Park and provide a guide in Spanish, as well as lunch and even oxygen equipment for the altitude.
What to do in Iquique in 3 days
Day 1: Tour the centre of Iquique
- Walk along Paseo Baquedano and enjoy its bars and restaurants.
- Visit the Astoreca Palace
- Go to the National Museum
- See the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Iquique
- Visit the Clock Tower, one of the symbolic places in Iquique, Chile.
- Take a boat trip to the site where the Corbeta Esmeralda sank.
Day 2: Villages of the Tarapacá Region
- Visit Pozo Almonte and see the old Humberstone and Santa Laura saltpetre works.
- Go to La Tirana and, if you go in July, enjoy its popular festivities.
- Discover Pica and La Matilla, two oases in the middle of the desert.
- Return to Iquique and rest after a long day watching the sunset in front of the sea.
Day 3: Cavancha Beach
- Spend the morning at Iquique’s most popular beach, Playa Cavancha.
- Stroll along the promenade where you’ll find the Corbeta Esmeralda Museum which has a replica of the ship.
- Visit the Zofri Mall, a duty free shopping centre where you will find the best souvenirs at the best prices.
Where to stay in Iquique
- Gran Cavancha Hotel & Apartment: A fabulous beachfront hotel with large rooms equipped with private bathroom and kitchen. Average price per night €121 for a double bed and a sofa bed.
- Holiday Inn Express: A 4-star hotel at an affordable price. Located in the centre of Iquique, opposite Brava Beach, it has comfortable accommodation and modern facilities. The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, and a buffet breakfast is included. Average price for two people per night: €66. No prepayment required.
Where to eat in Iquique
- Rayu: This Peruvian restaurant could not be missing from the list of the best restaurants in Iquique, so we recommend booking a few days in advance. It offers delicious dishes, a complete wine list and the best pisco sour in Iquique. (€€€€)
- Borboleta restaurant cafeteria: One of the best places in Iquique to try a delicious ceviche at a good price, as well as many other dishes. Borboleta is also the perfect place to go for a snack or a coffee. (€-€€).
- El Rincón de Cachuperto: A quality fast food restaurant. Here you can find the best sandwiches and empanadas in Iquique. (€)
Tips for your trip
- Have your money exchanged into Chilean pesos beforehand. Currency exchanges at airports are very expensive.
- Always carry cash. Not all shops accept credit cards.
- Bear in mind that in Chile there is a rounding law and there are no 1 and 5 peso coins, so your bill will be rounded to the nearest ten.
- Bar and restaurant bills include a 10% tip already calculated. This is a suggestion, you can leave that amount, more, less or nothing at all if you don’t want to.
- If you want to save some money, travel in December, when the weather is pleasant but it’s not high season and hotel prices are lower than in January and February.
Organise your trip to Iquique, 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.
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