Getting Around Antofagasta
Antofagasta is a port city and regional capital in northern Chile, and the chief service hub for one of the country's major mining areas. For a visitor, the good news is that the parts of the city you are most likely to want to see are compact enough to cover on foot, with minibuses, taxis and rental vehicles filling in the gaps.
On Foot
Walking is the simplest way to get around the areas most visitors care about. The area of interest for most visitors is easily covered by walking, so if you are basing yourself centrally you may not need any other transport for day-to-day sightseeing.
Rail, Metro and Tram
Antofagasta has no metro, tram or urban rail network for visitors to use. Getting around the city is done by road — on foot, by minibus, by taxi or in a rented vehicle.
Buses and Minibuses
Public transport within the city is provided by several lines of minibuses. These are small vehicles with a capacity of fewer than 30 people, and they serve the city rather than running on a single unified network. Fares are paid on board and are inexpensive; expect to pay a few hundred pesos per ride. Because several different lines operate, it is worth asking at your accommodation which line passes near where you are staying and where you want to go.
Note that long-distance buses do not run downtown. They use the Terminal de Buses Cardenal Carlos Oviedo Cavada on Avenida Pedro Aguirre Cerda, north of town, so if you are arriving or leaving by intercity bus you will need a local minibus or taxi to cover the final stretch into the centre.
Taxis
Taxis in Antofagasta are served by black sedans. Rather than roaming freely for hire, they make their way through the urban area along fixed routes, so you will generally pick one up along its route rather than flagging one down anywhere. This makes them a useful complement to the minibuses, particularly if your destination sits off a minibus line.
Renting a Car or 4WD
If you are travelling as a group of three to five people and want to explore the region around Antofagasta on your own, renting a vehicle is a good option and can save a lot of money compared with organised tours. Rental cars here are relatively cheap — even cheaper than in Calama, despite Calama possibly being closer to some of the sights you might want to see. Because the terrain outside the city is rough, a 4WD or truck is strongly recommended over a regular car unless you plan to stay on proper roads.
Getting In from the Airport
Andrés Sabella Gálvez International Airport (ANF) sits in Cerro Moreno, north of the city. It is served by three airlines — JetSmart, LATAM and Sky Airline — with JetSmart and LATAM flying from Concepción, La Serena, Lima and Santiago, and Sky Airline from La Serena and Santiago.
The airport is reached by Route CH-1, the road that also gives access to the natural monument La Portada. Since the airport lies outside the urban area, plan on a taxi or a pre-arranged transfer for the run into town, or check with your accommodation about a pickup. If you are driving yourself, the airport connects directly to the city via the same coastal route.
Arriving by Car
Route CH-5, part of the Panamerican Highway, links Antofagasta with the rest of Chile. It joins the city by Route CH-26 in the north and Route CH-28 in the south, so which approach you take depends on whether you are coming from the north or the south. Route CH-1 also connects the city to the north of the country and provides access to both the airport and La Portada.