The Top 10 Things To See And Do In Iquique Chile

Often times, when you’re travelling a country of such length like Chile, you can get caught up in the rush of trying to see everything so quickly. This goes against everything that Chile’s about, which you’ll see when you visit the town of Iquique—a beautiful beach city with an ocean that’s several shades of blue and a historic centre that offers the perfect balance of culture and relaxation.

Playa Cavancha

The most popular beach in Iquique, Playa Cavancha is the bustling, beautiful, golden lining of the city. Running along the Pacific Ocean, Cavancha is a great place to join in on a game of beach soccer, paddle ball, volleyball, work out on its exercise bars, take a dip in the refreshing ocean or just slowly cruise along its boardwalk at a leisurely pace away from the centre of town.

Cerro Dragon sand boarding

Surfing down a gigantic mountain of sand is definitely not something you can do everywhere and when the sun is setting over Iquique, there is no other place you’ll want to be. The view itself from Cerro Dragon is worth the journey, and a tour that lets you glide down its sand makes this one of the most special sunset experiences you will ever have.

Calle Baquedano

Walking down this wide, pedestrian-only street leading into the centre of town, you’ll feel like you’re in the Wild West and not present-day Chile. The train tracks running down the street’s centre provide proof of the old street cars that used to run on it and the faded, wooden, saloon-style architecture is reflective of Iquique’s mining history, an instrumental part of the city’s establishment. Calle Baquedano is a great street to wander on for a bite to eat or a drink in the sun.

1. Iquique Naval Museum

Museum, Building

If you’re inspired by the tour of the Corbeta Esmeralda, then you’re in luck! Located nearby the replica of the ancient ship is the Naval Museum of Iquique, which goes into more detail about the War of the Pacific, as well as other battles fought on Chilean seas.