Iquique

Introduction

Iquique is a port city in northern Chile, the capital of both the Iquique Province and the Tarapacá Region. It sits on the Pacific coast, west of the Pampa del Tamarugal, part of the Atacama Desert. Its name comes from the Aymara language — "Iki Iki," meaning "land of dreams."

The city grew during the heyday of saltpetre mining in the Atacama Desert in the 19th century. Once a Peruvian city with a large Chilean population, it was conquered by Chile in the War of the Pacific. Today it is one of only two free ports in Chile, the other being Punta Arenas in the country's far south.

Before you go

Iquique sits in northern Chile, a city shaped by the saltpetre mining boom that swept the Atacama Desert in the 19th century. It began as a Peruvian city with a substantial Chilean population before Chile took it during the War of the Pacific, and copper mining remains an important part of its economy today. It is one of only two free ports in Chile, the other being Punta Arenas in the far south.

Before you go, it helps to know what that history means for your visit: the city's character comes from its mining past and its role as a port, so plan your time around the historic centre and the coast rather than expecting a resort town. Check the Visit Iquique website for current information before you travel.

Getting there

Getting around

Iquique is compact enough that walking covers most of what you'll want to see. The coastal zone, including Cavancha and Playa Brava, concentrates much of the tourist activity, and the seafront is easy to navigate on foot; the area around Paseo Baquedano is likewise a hub of businesses and services. If you base yourself near the coast or the centre, most day-to-day errands and sightseeing need no transport at all.

• Micros: Local buses run along the major streets in the centre and are the main form of public transport, operated by Transporte Urbano Iquique (TUI). They are the cheapest motorised option and a practical way to cover longer distances, such as from the centre out to the Zofri free-trade zone. They can be crowded at peak hours and schedules are sometimes unpredictable, so allow extra time; the system is considered safe at any time of day.
• Colectivos: Shared taxis running fixed routes, like buses but with the speed and comfort of a taxi. Fares sit between bus and private taxi. At night, ride with other passengers.
• Taxis and ride-hailing: Readily available, hailed on the street or booked ahead, and generally considered safe, including for women travelling alone and for children — but use reputable companies and avoid unlicensed taxis. They cost more than buses but are faster.
• No rail: There is no metro, tram, or passenger rail network, so plan on buses, colectivos, taxis, and your own two feet.

From Diego Aracena International Airport (IQQ), south of the city, you'll need ground transport since it sits outside the urban area; taxis and colectivos are the most straightforward, and arranging a transfer or hotel pickup in advance can save money. Long-distance buses arrive at several separate locations rather than one central station — the main terminal north of the centre, a second station near the central mercado at Calle Barros Arana and Thomson, and the Tur-bus terminal on Calle Esmeralda — so check which one your service uses. Keep small change handy for bus and shared-taxi fares, and at night prefer a colectivo with other passengers or a licensed taxi over walking long distances.

Where to stay

Food & drink

Iquique's Chinese community, descended from nineteenth-century immigrants brought to work in saltpetre extraction, has left a lasting mark on the city's food. The area around the Mercado functions as Iquique's Chinatown, where you'll find plenty of Peruvian-influenced chifa restaurants; these tend to be on the expensive side, while the smaller places between them are cheaper and serve sandwiches and burgers. Fast food chains such as McDonald's, Domino's and KFC are found in the malls.

• For dessert, try chumbeque, a creation of Chinese descendants made with layers of fried thin dough filled with fruity caramels.
• Nearby towns, especially Pica and Matilla, offer fruits and desserts made from them; the best known are alfajores.
• Pisco Sour made with lemons from Pica is the local drink speciality.

Budget options include El Noctambulo, Espacio Bhanga, Restaurat Buenos Aires, Empanadas Del Chaperon, Restaurant comida casera and Empanadas Don Ignacio. For something mid-range, Pizzeria Bar Trattoria "Al Filo D'Oro" serves thick-crust pizzas in a pleasant spot with outdoor seating, Pub Restaurante "Rincón Guachaca" is a dance restaurant, and Santorini Restobar offers Greek food. If you're after a splurge, El Wagon is known for outstanding and generous seafood and is worth the higher prices, while Neptuno is a restaurant specialising in marine food.

What to see and do

Start with the cobbled Baquedano Street, an old-Western style thoroughfare lined with tourist and artisan activity. The surrounding buildings date from the 19th century, when European entrepreneurs enriched by saltpetre mining built their homes here, and show Georgian and Victorian styles adapted to the coastal desert climate. That same mining wealth shaped the wider downtown, where you can find the Spanish Casino, the Croatian Casino, the Chinese Club and the Municipal Theatre, one of the most important in the country. The Astoreca Palace, the city's most emblematic house, now serves as an extension centre of Arturo Prat University. Historic sites relating to the Pacific War and to the Santa Maria School massacre lie both in the city and out in the surrounding coast and desert.

Further afield, the UNESCO-listed Oficina Humberstone is an old residential and production site from the saltpetre era, with a few furnished houses and much of the rest preserved by the dry atmosphere; allow an hour or two to stroll the large area. The Gigante de Atacama, the region's largest geoglyph, sits east of the Panamericana and is best appreciated from above, so it is worth a stop mainly if you are already driving those roads. Beaches are the other draw: Playa Cavancha is the largest, but take care, as submarine tides make some spots such as Playa Brava and Playa Huayquique unsuitable for swimming. You can also surf right in town.

Three days in Iquique

Day one: Start in Iquique itself, getting your bearings along Calle Barros Arana, the city's main commercial street, and Calle Esmeralda, where you can take in the historic centre and its preserved architecture. The city's story runs from the Aymara and the Iki Iki through the Peruvian and Chilean eras to the War of the Pacific, and the centre reflects that layered past. In the afternoon, head for the coast and the Pacific, watching the surf and the paragliders who launch from the cliffs above the city.

Day two: Go inland to the Pampa and the Tamarugal, the dry interior of Tarapacá Region that sits between the coastal city and the Atacama Desert. This is the landscape of the old nitrate era, and the drive out of Iquique Province takes you into open desert country with wide skies. Return to the city in the evening for seafood and the easy coastal atmosphere.

Day three: Use Iquique as a base for the wider region. Buses run to Arica, Antofagasta, Calama and Santiago, and international services reach La Paz, Oruro and Cochabamba in Bolivia. If you are heading south, Punta Arenas is the far southern counterpart to this northern port. Check schedules before you set out, since distances here are long.