Antofagasta
Hotels in Antofagasta- Code:AN
- Type:region
- Native name:Antofagasta Region
- Population:635,416 (2024)
- Area:126,049 km²
- Elevation:2,552 m
- Capital:Antofagasta
Introduction
The Antofagasta Region of northern Chile is the gateway to the Atacama — the driest desert on earth — a vast, otherworldly landscape of salt flats, geysers, volcanoes and the clearest night skies on the planet.
Overview
The Antofagasta Region, spanning northern Chile from the Pacific to the Bolivian and Argentine borders, contains the heart of the Atacama Desert — the driest non-polar desert on earth, where some weather stations have never recorded rain — and it offers some of the most spectacular and surreal landscapes in South America. The traveller's base is San Pedro de Atacama, a small adobe oasis town at 2,400 metres on the edge of the great Salar de Atacama salt flat, from which a wealth of unforgettable excursions radiate. Closest is the Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), a landscape of eroded salt-and-clay formations, dunes and ridges that glows red and gold at sunset. Higher up, the El Tatio geyser field — one of the highest in the world at 4,300 metres — erupts in steaming columns at dawn against a frozen altiplano. In the Salar de Atacama itself, the Laguna Chaxa and the salt lagoons shimmer pink with flamingos, while the deep-blue altiplano lakes of Miscanti and Miñiques sit beneath snow-capped volcanoes, and the salt-saturated Laguna Cejar lets you float as in the Dead Sea. Above all, the Atacama has the clearest, darkest skies on the planet — at this altitude, with no humidity or light pollution, the stargazing is world-renowned, and the region hosts the giant ALMA and Paranal observatories. Beyond the desert, the regional capital Antofagasta is a coastal mining port with the natural rock arch of La Portada nearby; the world's largest open-pit copper mine at Chuquicamata lies inland near Calama; and the lonely Mano del Desierto sculpture rises from the sand by the Pan-American Highway. The Atacama is a high-altitude destination — acclimatise, hydrate and protect against the intense sun and cold nights — and is rewarding year-round, with bright days, cold nights, and the rare summer “altiplano winter” rains (January–February) occasionally affecting high routes.
Discover Antofagasta
San Pedro de Atacama is the gateway to the desert — a small, laid-back town of adobe houses, a pretty white colonial church, and a single dusty main street lined with tour agencies, restaurants and hostels, set in an oasis on the edge of the world's third-largest salt flat. It's the base from which almost every Atacama excursion departs. The nearest and most popular is the Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), a protected reserve of bizarre eroded landforms — salt mountains that crackle audibly, sculpted clay ridges, sand dunes and a great amphitheatre — where crowds gather at sunset to watch the rock glow through reds, oranges and purples as the Licancabur volcano stands sentinel. Nearby lie the Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley) with its sandboarding dunes, and ancient sites like the Pukará de Quitor fortress and the Tulor village. With its altitude (2,400 m) and crisp, dry air, San Pedro is a place to slow down, acclimatise and plan your desert adventures.
Ways to Experience This Destination
San Pedro de Atacama, the Moon Valley, sand dunes and the surreal scenery of the driest desert on earth.
The dawn El Tatio geysers, the flamingo lagoons of the Salar de Atacama and the altiplano lakes.
The clearest night skies on the planet, astronomy tours and the ALMA and Paranal observatories.
The port city of Antofagasta, the La Portada arch, the Mano del Desierto and the copper mines.
Frequently asked questions
Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.