Iquique

From saltpeter to fishmeal

Located 1,853 km north of Santiago and 315 km south of Arica, Iquique lies between the ocean and the Cordillera de la Costa. In the 19th century, trains carrying minerals and saltpeter passed through this city; however, after the saltpeter recession, Iquique reinvented itself as a fishing port with the largest fishmeal traffic in the world. The creation of the Free Trade Zone in 1975 made Iquique one of the most prosperous cities in Chile. The climate in Iquique is desert-like: in summer, temperatures can reach 25°C, while in winter the minimum temperature is 13°C.

The corvette Esmeralda and Free Trade Zone shopping

Visit the Corbeta Esmeralda Museum, a replica of the famous Chilean ship “Esmeralda”, sunk by the Peruvian Navy in the War of the Pacific. Tour the historic neighborhood of Iquique, Prat Square, and take a walk along the Passenger Dock, from where you can take a boat circuit to the spot where the “Esmeralda” sank during the Naval Combat of Iquique. This charming and lively coastal town is also a shopping paradise, thanks to the tax exemption granted by the Free Trade Zone, where you can find everything from electronics to clothes and perfumes.