Introduction: Iquique is the capital of the region of Tarapacá and one of the most visited cities in the north of Chile. Iquique, famous for the exploitation of saltpeter Iquique (salitre) surrounding is a
beautiful coastal city in northern Chile, to the west of the Atacama Desert. It's a popular holiday destination with a tax-free port area, shinning beaches and a seafront casino. Iquique is called the 'meeting point'. This is a city where birds and sea-lions sleep together. In its historic district, an iconic 19th-century clock tower stands in Arturo Prat Square, the city's main plaza.
Why tourist meeting point: Iquique is often called the meeting point because this city is connected to Bolivia, Peru and the south of Chile. During summer, tourists arrive in Iquique from many parts of the world. They visit, they relax and explore the grand surroundings.
Important tourist points in Iquique:
Corvette Esmeralda museum: Museo Corbeta Esmeralda:
The Corbeta Esmeralda Museum is a Chilean museum located in the city of Iquique (Tarapacá Region). In fact this is a replica of full-scale representation of the Chilean corvette Esmeralda, sunk in the Iquique naval combat that occurred in 1879. Esmeralda was opened as a museum ship on 20 May 2011 by President Sebastián Piñera, including the descendants of Arturo Prat.
Plaza Arturo Prat:
The main square of the city of Iquique or just Plaza Arturo Prat is the main square in Iquique city. This square constitutes a heritage area with several buildings classified as historical monuments : The Clock Tower, the Tarapacá Employees Protective Society Building and the Municipal Theater, which together are one of the most representative urban expressions of the saltpeter period along with the Spanish Casino and the Croatian Club.
Cavancha sea beach:
Cavancha Beach is located in downtown Iquique and it has good conditions to practice outdoor and sport activities, like surf and swimming. It´s the largest beach in the city surrounded by a modern
urban architecture, the seashore and a walking area. Cavancha is the most attractive tourist point in Tarapaca region. During summer, millions of tourists both from Chile and overseas visit this amazing beach. There are various sporting activities for all classes of people. The most beautiful and eye-catching activity is with the children who play with sand and water. They remain extremely busy digging holes and carrying water and building sandy architectures by the beach. Though somewhat boring, the endless shouting of vendors is definitely a memorable experience of Cavancha tour.
Baquedano street:
Baquedano Street is a long avenue in the old quarter of Iquique, Chile. It is a popular tourists attraction and is a “typical zone,” a status that preserves its historical and architectural heritage. It is characterized by its late 19th- and early 20th-century houses built of wood from Europe. The
architecture that Baquedano Street exemplifies accommodates Iquique's prevailing climatic conditions. The buildings on Baquedano Street and, in general, all those that follow the city's traditional architecture, were built as stores or houses by immigrants who amassed fortunes through the nitrate works. The buildings typically show a continuous frontage and a verticality and lightness. They are typically organized around a central nucleus and feature vestibules, verandahs, skylights or lanterns, watchtowers, and a serial or "shady" roof over the terrace roof.
Paseo Peatonal Cavancha:
This is a footpath located along Cavancha beach. This is stretched from north to south and is made of timbers. In the evening, thousands of visitors walk along this wooden path and enjoy the beautiful sunset.
Paseo lancha de Muelle Prat:
The boats located on the Arturo Prat dock offer a different, educational and fun panorama. One of the attractions of the trip to the Esmeralda buoy are the stories that the boatmen themselves tell their passengers about the history of naval heroes, details of the Pacific War and unimaginable curiosities of the animals that accompany the routes to get closer every day.
Boya Esmeralda de Iquique: Emerald Buoy:
It is located in the northern sector of the waterfront, near the Iquique parade ground. The buoy marks the place where the remains of the Emerald sunk during the Naval Combat of Iquique, on May 21, 1879 are located. Tourists can approach it in boats. Every May 21 the authorities come to pay tribute to the naval heroes.
Casino de Cavancha:
Casino Dreams Iquique is an important contribution to the world of Tourism and entertainment with a wide comprehensive offer under the concept of rest and fun. It is located a few steps from Cavancha beach, a place where entertainment and fun never perish. With the highest technology and a state-of-the-art structure, it has 573 modern gaming machines and 29 game tables. It has two environments: smoking and non-smoking. Live music goes on weekends.
Brava sea beach:
Brava beach is located 4 kms. from the center of Iquique. It is located in the southern sector of the city, between Huayquique beach and Cavancha beach.
This beach occupies a large part of the urban coastal edge of Iquique and is not suitable for swimming since it has strong waves. Usually, paragliders descend into the arena of Brava beach.
Colorful fishing boats add a new beauty to Iquique tourism. Very early morning, many boats leave the coast to collect fishes and return before evening. Some boats return after a couple of days. These boats are seen in Iquique port area and around Cavancha.
Sea lions (Lobos marinos):
Sea-lions are the most amazing natural spectacle of Iquique city. Sea-lions (lobos marinos) are found sleeping, playing, eating and roaring in coasts near Iquique port and Caleta Riquelme. They are also found relaxing at Isla de lobos (Sea lions' island) in Iquique port. They are the vital part of tourism. Though it is prohibited to offer
food to sea lions, fishermen generally throw fish waste to them. As soon as the fish waste is thrown, the sea lions engage in terrible fight among themselves. Sometimes, sea birds like albatross, pelicans and sea gulls take part in the fight to grab the fish waste.
Pelicans of Pecific:
Giant pelicans are seen gathering around in Iquique coast. Tourists throw the fish waste to pelicans just to see the amazing fight for food. Apart from pelicans, there are various sea birds like albatross, sea gulls, etc. Very often pelicans snatch or steal fishes from inattentive fishermen.
Ferocarril Iquique:
The Tarapacá Saltpeter Railroad Station is an industrial building that was built during the second half of the 19th century, prior to the War of 1879 or the Pacific War. Its construction is part of an investment project promoted by the Peruvian government that sought to modernize the mineral and passenger transport system. By decree, in 1860, Messrs. Federico Pezet and José M. Costa were given the task of building a railway route between the city of Iquique and the mining towns scattered throughout the desert. However, the failure of the deadlines agreed in the decree by both entrepreneurs, resulted in a new decree that handed over the engineering task to Don Ramón Montero y Hermanos; who inaugurated the work and saw the first train leave on July 28, 1871.
Charles Darwin's monument:
The monument to Charles Darwin in Iquique is located in front of the former Customs building, also known as Rímac Palace, between Aníbal Pinto streets, Jorge Barrera and Arturo Prat Chacón avenue. It consists of a bright black painted iron anchor on a white cement base. Two bronze plates are embedded in the cement plinth, one has the bust of the English naturalist engraved next to a brief review of his work and the figure of the brig Beagle, and the other a fragment of the grapes and the wind of Neruda where reference to Darwin's passage through Chile. He embarked on the second expedition of the Beagle brig along the South American coasts, between 1831 and 1836, under the command of Robert Fitz-Roy. After crossing the Atlantic and crossing the coasts of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, the expedition crossed the Strait of Magellan and disembarked at the port of Valparaíso in 1834.
Regional museum of Iquique:
Iquique's former court house now hosts the catch-all regional museum, which earnestly re-creates a traditional adobe altiplano village and also exhibits masked Chinchorro mummies and elongated skulls. Photographs placed inside the museum explore Iquique's urban beginnings, and a fascinating display redirects the attention to the nitrate industry.
Military museum of Iquique:
Located in Baquedano 1396, Iquique. The house that occupies the Tarapacá Military Museum of the VI Army Division, corresponds to a building of ancient historical data in the city of Iquique. The museum houses a collection of about 500 pieces, mainly metal, weapons and ammunition, also paper and textile. Some of the most prominent pieces are: Carbine Winchester Model 1866, Blakely Rifle, and a burlap inscribed with the name of the soldier Sebastián Figueroa, a textile formerly used as a parcel wrap. The collection houses objects from the 1991 Civil War and the Pacific War.
Caleta Riquelme:
Caleta Riquelme is a coastal fish market near Iquique port. There exist many temporary and permanent fish selling shops. Fresh fishes and other sea stuffs are sold there from morning to
afternoon. Additionally, all sea related religious festivals are celebrated there. Ceviche (a Chilean typical food) is generally produced and sold in this area.
Hindu Temple (Templo Hindu de Iquique):
Hindu Temple is located at Rancagua street in Iquique city. This temple plays a vital role to celebrate Indian national days. Almost all Hindu festivals are celebrated here. Most important festivals are
Janmastami, Holi, Durga puja, Diwali, etc.
Mosque (Mezquita Bilal de Iquique):
Centro Islamico (Islamic center) Mezquita Bilal is located at Av. Pedro Prado corner, El Aguila Iquique 3291, Chile. This is only mosque in Iquique city. All Islamic celebrations and festivals are celebrated here.
Mall Zofri:
Zofri is a mega mall located at the northern part of Iquique city. A beautiful location with Pacific coast at one side and the Andes on the other side, Mall Zofri has huge business enterprises. Most of the companies and enterprises are foreign owned. This is a tax-free zone area. Hundreds of exporters regularly export merchandises from all over the countries. Though it is a business point, tourists tour the mall as a part of an amazing tourist place.
Parachute riding:
The wild Chilean geography, full of hills and high mountains is the perfect setting for skydiving and all sorts of aerial sports. There are many parachute riding schools in Iquique. During summer, hundreds of flyers fly colorful parachutes. They jump from Alto Hospicio, the high city and land on cavancha and Brava sea beaches.
Surfing and water sports:
Iquique is one of the most popular northern cities for surfing and paragliding. This city is well-known to have excellent waves for surfing and bodyboarding. During
the summer months, the beach gets crowded for visitors and water sporters. It is said that Iquique has world-class waves for bodyboarders and surfers.
Carnavals of Iquique:
Andean Week, held in Iquique in the second week of February, has two key events: a carnival and a smaller, lesser-known side event. During carnavals, an exposition and gathering of the different faces of Andean culture, and show of traditional foods are eye-catching spectacle. In the year 2019, around 7,000 people attended the event, which is organized by the Chilean government’s National Corporation for Indigenous Development (CONADI).
The carnival takes place in Iquique’s Parque Balmaceda, and the side event is held in the former Cavancha stadium.
Monument of Arturo Prat:
This bronze sculpture of Arturo Prat Chacón on cement is located in the center of Plaza 21 de Mayo, in front of the English School in Iquique at the end of Baquedano street. The monument represents the figure of Arturo Prat Chacón, facing the sea, wielding his sword with his right hand while holding the Chilean flag with his left. Six other plates, installed on different dates, complement the sculpture. In one of them the confrontation at sea of the Chilean corvette Esmeralda and the Peruvian monitor Huáscar is represented; in another, the figures of the Iquique martyrs appear: Midshipman Ernesto Riquelme and 2nd Lieutenant Ignacio Serrano. The set commemorates the naval combat of May 21, 1879, in the framework of the Pacific War (1879-1883), also called the saltpeter war because economic interests in this mineral were one of the main causes of the conflict. Apparantly, this monument is of high importance from historical perspective. Besides, there are many historical monuments around the city that are frequently visited by historians and researchers.
Plaza Condell:
The Condell plaza is built on 4 floors, which include two with 308 parking spaces, a food court and the urban plaza, with an extension of more than 10,000 square meters. This plaza is surrounded by Ripley market and other buildings. All day long tourists gather around this plaza.
Slava Square of Iquique:
A monument consisting of a tall column with symbolic decorations is erected. The coats of arms of Chile and the Kingdom of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia are sculpted on it with the legend “Homage of the Slava Colony of Tarapacá to the First Centenary of the Independence of Chile” 1810-1910. The monument was built in 1912 by Andrés Rožmanić Suzanić, born in Chile to Croatian parents who had emigrated from Mali Lošinj.
This square unfairly and arbitrarily disappeared from the Balmaceda Park in 1965, its monument was demolished and only the bronze plaque at the base of its tower - which was recovered from the municipal pens in 1987 - was preserved.
The Croatian colony of Iquique decided to rebuild the square, being reopened in 2010. During the reconstruction of the square, everything was done exactly as before. The coat of arms and the old copper plate were put with the text: The Slavic colony of Tarapacá - on the occasion of the first century of the independence of Chile.
Ducks used to come to the fountain in the square. Now there are no more, but duck sculptures have been put in place to restore the old atmosphere, as many generations of Iquiqueños preserve in their memory.
Galería turística artesanal Baquedano:
Baquedano Artisan Tourist Gallery has been there since infinite times. And it has become a must-see for those who walk along the promenade of the same name.
Fifteen stores open their doors daily from 9 in the morning until after midnight. Apart from these 15 stores, there are other two tourist markets near central plaza. In the stores, there are local made handicrafts. Most of the handicrafts mark the work 'Iquique'. The stores sell typical dresses, local foods, tapestries, walmats, dolls, showpieces, etc. They also sell Chilean musical instruments, bags and colorful cloths.
Communication:
Near to tax-free zone and the port of Iquique, there is the Bus Terminal of this city, a boarding point for transportation companies such as Andes Mar Chile, Pullman Bus, Expreso Norte, Turbus, Condor Bus. This terminal is characterized by offering its information in Spanish and in Aymara, language of the indigenous people of Los Andes. The most frequent national destinations of this terminal are: Santiago, Calama, Arica and Antofagasta. The international destination is Tacna of Peru and Oruro and Cochabamba of Bolivia.
Diego Aracena International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional Diego Aracena IQQ) is an airport serving Iquique, capital of the Tarapacá Region in Chile. The airport is on the Pacific coast 48 kilometres south of the city. It shares a runway with Los Cóndores Air Base, home to the First Air Brigade of the Chilean Air Force.
Conclusion:
Iquique is such a Chilean city that always wait with all her richness and grandeur to receive tourists all the year round with the sign ' Bienvenido'.
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