Palacio Astoreca (Tues.-Fri. 10am to 1pm and 4-7:30 pm; Saturday 10am to 1:30pm; Sunday 11am-2pm)is a onetime stunning, now deteriorating nitrate mansion now serving as a art museum and cultural center.

Patricio Lynch at O'Higgins. Phone (56-57) 412-397.
Open Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 7 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 1 pm.; extended hours in summer. Onetime nitrate mansion now serving as art museum and cultural center.

Museo Regional: Baquedano 951. Phone (56-57) 421-018
Mon - Fri, 8:30am - 1 pm and 3pm - 8pm, and Sat.,10:30 to 1 pm / admission US$1. Good historical museum focuses archaeology, ethnography of the Andean highlands and the nitrate era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Humberstone: A nitrate ghost town located an hour inland from downtown, a perfect place to explore with a camera. Admission US$2, which includes a map of the site and brief but informative historical sketches of Humberstone and other nearby nitrate settlements. Pisagua: A 19th-century nitrate port which, under the military dictatorship of 1973-90, became a major prison camp. Directly north of Iquique, reached by a paved road from the village of Huara northeast of the city. Now a virtual ghost town with barely a hundred inhabitants, it still contains several well-preserved architectural landmarks.

Giant of the Atacama: Km 67 along Ruta 5 (the Panamerican Highway)
The largest known geoglyph in the world, and other archeological sites in the vicinity. A perfect place to explore with a camera. located roughyly 20 km south of the junction between Ruta 16 and the Panamericana (which passes through this reserve). The extraordinary Cerro Pintados are the main attraction within the Pampa del Tamarugal, located roughyly 20 km south of the junction between Ruta 16 and the Panamericana (which passes through this reserve). The Cerro is home to the largest collection of geoglyphs in South America. It is open daily from 9:30am to 6:30pm.

Playa Cavancha offers good swimming and a sunbathing beach at a convienient locale. Playa Brava has a more rugged surf and dangerous currents, but less congested. It's possible to winsurf. You can good surfing at Playa El Colegio.

Parque Nacional Volcan Isluga is best accessed through an organized tour, which you can find in Inquique. The park has various points of interest: sweeping plains, beautiful snow-frosted volcanoes, deserted towns. Unlike Parque Nacional Lauca, this park is still widely untraveled, and you're unlikely to see other tourists.

People prefer wintertime for surfing, but it is possible to do so all year round. Try Playa El Colegio, Punta Uno and Punta Dos, and Playa Las Uraccas.

Duna Cerro Dragon is the closest, as well as the best-suited for beginners and classes. Try the Escuela de Perapente Manutara, on 18 de Septiembre 1512, which offers short flights and three-day courses.

Hot Springs Mamina is a small oasis 125 km outside of Inquique. Hot Springs Pica is 108 km southeast of Inquique.

Turismo Abia Yala:
Full-day tours of inland destinations like Humberstone, Cerro Unita (Giant of the Atacama), Pica and Mamiña.

Sourire Tours:
Conventional and adventure travel excursions to remote parts of the region.

Civet Adventure:
Conventional and adventure travel agency that organizes bike tours and has English and German-speaking guides.