Antofagasta

Travel and explore cities of Chile

The main cities of Chile:

Antofagasta is a city in northern Chile. The Atacama desert rises in the east and the Pacfic Ocean provides a western limit. This is an industrial centre in the region and is perhaps the least pleasant city in the north. Current works (2008) to refurbish the seafront will probably render this city increasingly attractive, also for tourists. Travellers heading to San Pedro de Atacama and between far north and central Chile might find it a convenient stopover.

There is no real centralized bus terminal, but all the major companies have their grounds within a block or so of each other, centered on the crossing of La Torre and Bolivar. Many daily departures/arrivals: Calama, San Pedro de Atacama, Iquique, Arica, Copiapó, La Serena and Santiago.

* Casa de Huesped Cataluna, Bolivar 572 (Half a block from the bus terminals), 780001. Clean rooms, shared bathroom (bring towel and toilet paper), big, comfy beds, thin walls let you here the birds sing in their cage in the hall.

* Hotel Rawaye, Calle Sucre 762, +56 (0)55 225339. Run down old building with steaming hot showers and birds nesting in the ceiling. Fascinating amount of headroom in the bathrooms. Some rooms are quieter than others.