From our viewpoint, Chile is a country that doesn’t get enough “travel love,” compared to so many other countries. We might be a little bit guilty of that too, but not for long. To be fair, Chile is quite a hike to get to. Flight connections are not always easy, nor cheap. It is an immense country, geographically, so if you want to go, you must go with intent. Having a car is a must, as is having a luxurious length of time allocated. But, if you go, you’ll find that it was all completely worth it.
When most people of think of Chile, they think of Santiago, and rightly so. It is the “name brand” of the country and is a sprawling, bustling, hectic, distinctive place, one you’ll fall in love with almost immediately. When outside of Santiago, other go-to places include Torres del Paine National Park which is famous for epic trekking, monstrous glaciers, tranquil lakes, and iconic rock formations, Isla Magdalena, Rapa Nui National Park and, of course – Easter Island.
But, let us allure you with a Chilean place you may have heard of, but know little about – Iquique. It’s a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Pampa del Tamarugal, which is part of the Atacama Desert. But, it is so much more than that dry (geddit?) explanation. It is a destination in itself. Prepare to be surprised. Paragliding over the city and landing on the beach is amazing. Pintados and the giant of the Atacama are such beautiful places as is the oasis and the nitrite mines.
Iquique could become your new favourite place.
Viator feature dozens of things to do in Chile. Click here.
Avianca fly to Chile and beyond. Click here to discover the options.
Hertz have rentals in South America. Treat yourself to the economical VW Jetta. Click here.