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Antofagasta

To be brutally honest, the port town of Antofagasta is by far the least appealing large city I have seen in all of Chile. Although it has an attractive and interesting historic downtown, very little of the immense amount of money that has passed through the town due to the prosperous mines inland was ever invested in the city of Antofagasta.

Therefore, it remains rather shabby and dusty. Still, it is the southern gateway to the coastal highway, and the western gateway to the scenic destinations of San Pedro de Atacama and the high-altitude geyser field at El Tatio. The coastal highway between Iquique and Antofagasta includes the quaint beach resorts of Mejillones and Hornitos. The beaches stretching for hundreds of kilometers in either direction also have good surfing possibilities.

Hotels


		Hotel Antofagasta

	General Info Located on the ocean shore only minutes from the city center. Well-furnished rooms.

	Accomodation Service Conference room, restaurant, bar, cafe, pool, conference room, laundry, parking.

	Prices Single US$57, Double US$57, Triple US$57, Suite US$100


		Hotel San Marcos

	General Info A very nice hotel in the city.

	Accomodation Service Restaurant, cafe, fax service, parking.

	Prices Single US$15, Double US$22, Triple US$26, Quadruple $32


		Hotel Plaza

	General Info A comfortable hotel in Antofagasta.

	Accomodation Service Conference room, restaurant, bar, cafe, fax service, laundry, pool, parking.

	Prices Single US$42, Double US$57, Suite VIP US$90, Apart Hotel 4pers. US$70


		Hotel San Martin

	General Info It's close to the Terminal de Buses Rurales. Large and clean rooms.

	Accomodation Service Restaurant, bar, cafe, laundry, fax service.

	Prices Single US$23, Double US$32, Triple US$47, Quintuple US$64

Activities


		Culture, Historic Buildings

	Museo Regional: (Balmaceda at Bolívar. (56-55) 227-018 Mon.- Sat., 10am to 1pm, and 4pm to 7pm, Sunday 11 am to 2 pm) Promising work-in-progress stresses local environments, minerals, archaeology and cultural evolution. The mineral display is remarkable. amd upstairs there is a collection of artifacts dating from the nitrate era.


		Park

	Monumento Natural La Portadauseo Regional: (Highway 1, 25 km north of Antofagasta) A shoreline park north of the city whose offshore rock formation is a local symbol. Good beach access from here.


		Geographical Interest

	La Portada: The most famous natural site in Antofagasta, it is found 15km north of the city. Take micro #15 from the Terminal Pesquero. This beautiful arch made of marine sediments rises up off the shore.


		Cultural Site

	Cobija: (Ruta 1, about 60 kilometers south of Tocopilla) The adobe ruins in Cobija are the remnants from when this land was Bolivia's outlet to the sea. Baquedano: (Ruta 5, 75 km northeast of Antofagasta) The crumbling roundhouse at the old nitrate rail junction of Baquedano is worth a stop for train enthusiasts.


		Tour Observatory

	Cerro Paramal: Located two hours south of Antofagasta, this observatory is home to the world's strongest telescope. However, you must be an established researcher to get to look through the "Very Large Telescope."