Iquique

Barefoot surfers, paragliding pros, casino snobs and frenzied merchants all cross paths in the rather disarming city of Iquique. Located in a golden crescent of coastline, this city is counted among Chile's premier beach resorts, with a glitzy casino, beachfront boardwalk and more activities (from paragliding to sand-boarding) than any sane person can take on in a week. The big draw here is the swaths of pitch-perfect beach, which offer some of the best surfing around.

Refurbished Georgian-style architecture from the 19th-century mining boom is well preserved, and the Baquedano pedestrian strip sports charming wooden sidewalks. Iquique's main claim, however, is its duty-free status, with a chaotic duty-free shopping zone (zona franca).

The city, 1151 miles (1853km) north of Santiago and 196 miles (315km) south of Arica, is squeezed between the ocean and the desolate brown coastal range rising abruptly some 1033ft (600m) behind it.

Explore Iquique

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Plaza Prat
The city's 19th-century swagger is hard to miss on Iquique's central square. Pride of place goes to the 1877 Torre Reloj clock tower, seemingly baked and…
M
Museo Corbeta Esmeralda
This replica of sunken Esmeralda, a plucky little Chilean corvette that challenged ironclad Peruvian warships in the War of the Pacific, is Iquique's new…
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Muelle de Pasajeros
Hour-long boat tours around the harbor leave from Iquique's 1901 passenger pier, just west of the Edificio de la Aduana. The tour floats past the Boya…
C
Centro Cultural Palacio Astoreca
Originally built for a nitrate tycoon, this 1904 Georgian-style mansion is now a cultural center, which exhibits contemporary work produced by local…
M
Museo Regional
Iquique's former courthouse now hosts the catch-all regional museum, which earnestly re-creates a traditional adobe altiplano village and also exhibits…
C
Casino Español
The prize for the showiest building in Iquique goes to this Moorish-style place from 1904, on the plaza's northeast corner. The gaudily tiled creation is…
T
Torre Reloj
This 1877 clock tower takes pride of place on Iquique's main square.
M
Museo Naval
Take in the artifacts salvaged from the sunken Esmeralda at this small museum inside the haughty colonial-style customs house, built in 1871 when Iquique…
E
Edificio de la Aduana
A grand old colonial building dating to 1876, the ex-customs house was ravaged by fire in early 2015.

P
Plaza Prat
The city's 19th-century swagger is hard to miss on Iquique's central square. Pride of place goes to the 1877 Torre Reloj clock tower, seemingly baked and…
M
Museo Corbeta Esmeralda
This replica of sunken Esmeralda, a plucky little Chilean corvette that challenged ironclad Peruvian warships in the War of the Pacific, is Iquique's new…
M
Muelle de Pasajeros
Hour-long boat tours around the harbor leave from Iquique's 1901 passenger pier, just west of the Edificio de la Aduana. The tour floats past the Boya…
C
Centro Cultural Palacio Astoreca
Originally built for a nitrate tycoon, this 1904 Georgian-style mansion is now a cultural center, which exhibits contemporary work produced by local…
M
Museo Regional
Iquique's former courthouse now hosts the catch-all regional museum, which earnestly re-creates a traditional adobe altiplano village and also exhibits…
C
Casino Español
The prize for the showiest building in Iquique goes to this Moorish-style place from 1904, on the plaza's northeast corner. The gaudily tiled creation is…
T
Torre Reloj
This 1877 clock tower takes pride of place on Iquique's main square.
M
Museo Naval
Take in the artifacts salvaged from the sunken Esmeralda at this small museum inside the haughty colonial-style customs house, built in 1871 when Iquique…
E
Edificio de la Aduana
A grand old colonial building dating to 1876, the ex-customs house was ravaged by fire in early 2015.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Iquique.

See
Plaza Prat
The city's 19th-century swagger is hard to miss on Iquique's central square. Pride of place goes to the 1877 Torre Reloj clock tower, seemingly baked and…
See
Museo Corbeta Esmeralda
This replica of sunken Esmeralda, a plucky little Chilean corvette that challenged ironclad Peruvian warships in the War of the Pacific, is Iquique's new…
See
Muelle de Pasajeros
Hour-long boat tours around the harbor leave from Iquique's 1901 passenger pier, just west of the Edificio de la Aduana. The tour floats past the Boya…
See
Centro Cultural Palacio Astoreca
Originally built for a nitrate tycoon, this 1904 Georgian-style mansion is now a cultural center, which exhibits contemporary work produced by local…
See
Museo Regional
Iquique's former courthouse now hosts the catch-all regional museum, which earnestly re-creates a traditional adobe altiplano village and also exhibits…
See
Casino Español
The prize for the showiest building in Iquique goes to this Moorish-style place from 1904, on the plaza's northeast corner. The gaudily tiled creation is…
See
Torre Reloj
This 1877 clock tower takes pride of place on Iquique's main square.
See
Museo Naval
Take in the artifacts salvaged from the sunken Esmeralda at this small museum inside the haughty colonial-style customs house, built in 1871 when Iquique…
See
Edificio de la Aduana
A grand old colonial building dating to 1876, the ex-customs house was ravaged by fire in early 2015.

Guidebooks

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Get to the heart of Iquique with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.