The Northern Coast : Beach, Sun, and Limitless Entertainment

The northern coast of Chile is quite extensive and has a rich marine life. The most important urban centers are Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, La Serena and Coquimbo, all of which are set on a beautiful scenery bathed in the waters of the southern Pacific Ocean. These ocean views contrast with the aridness of the golden sands of the interior desert, where the clean, starry sky during more than 300 nights a year has allowed the installation of important international observatories, such as Párana, El Tololo and La Silla.

In addition, you can find in this area ample beaches and always transparent, calm water with pleasant temperatures. It is a great place of water sports, underwater fishing, hunting, and recreation.

The coast offers the chance to enjoy exclusive nature, characterized by geological formations, cliffs, and unique archaeology with vestiges as important as the mummies of the Chinchorro culture in Arica, which are the oldest in the world (9,000 b.c). The flora and fauna have their apogee in the phenomenon of the "Flowering Desert", which occurs during the years in which the precipitation is bountiful and succeeds in hydrating the resistant seeds that are found in the soil. As a result, you can observe spectacular rugs of colored flowers, such as the Añañuca (Hippeastrum igneum) and the Lion's Claw (Leonthochir Ovallei).

Iquique
Also famous for its long, warm beaches, this city has an architectural heritage demonstrated in the magnificent and lavish constructions of old palaces, theaters, and buildings in Gregorian style. All of this is a reflection of a past financed by the exploitation of Nitrates and Silver, minerals that transformed this area into the economic nucleus of the country at the beginning of the 20th century. A representative symbol of this glorious time period is Humberstone, a nearby town, today uninhabited, that hidess within its walls the secrets of those times of prosperity.

Arica
Arica is an ideal city to visit because its privileged climate allows it to maintain tourist activities during the entire year. It is an extensive oasis in the middle of the desert where visitors can enjoy an ocean of clean water and white sand. The city offers diverse activities like, for example, archaeological tourism, found in the San Miguel de Azapa Museum, where the oldest mummies of the world are exhibited.

Antofagasta
The city of Antofagasta is the mining capital of Chile. Like the other cities of the northern coast, it has a pleasant, temperate climate during the entire year. From here you can visit interesting historical centers such as San Pedro de Atacama.

La Serena
La Serena and the port of Coquimbo are the northern costal cities closest to Santiago, the capital of Chile. Their beaches are recognized nationally for their length, crystalline water, and smooth sand. From here it is possible to explore the picturesque valleys, such as Elqui, full of impressive vegetation and beauty and a unique sky that has allowed the development of astronomy observation at both for tourists and scientists.