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La Portada is worth visiting. The Huanchaca Ruins Museum unfortunately does not have accessible parking. The parking space at the entrance off a busy avenue has been blocked off with large boulders. Why????

Antofagasta is the largest city in the Atacama region of Chile, a port city, and a transfer point for tourist going to San Pedro de Atacama. Overall Antofagasta is a decent looking city, but its kind of sprawling, and giving the fact its not a major tourist destination, there aren't tour operators lining up to offer you the best deals for day excursions. Nothing wrong with that, but something people should know. To get to some of the major places to see - you'll end up taking a taxi or uber. That's ok though. There are still things worth checking out. Most of all - go to La Portada!! A beautiful natural sea arch just north of the city on the way to the airport. with many sea cliffs protecting sea lions, nesting seabirds like Inca terns, Peruvian boobies, and pelicans, and even sometimes Humboldt penguins are sighted. Get a taxi or uber. Not many regular buses. Check out the bustling Terminal Pesquero for a cultural experience of the fisherman selling their fresh catches and throwing the remains to the waiting sea lions and pelicans. Freshest sea food ever!! Also to understand the importance of mining and geology to the region check out the Ruinas de Huanchaca, the ruins of an early foundry, that might fool some into thinking its the remains of an Incan temple, with an accompanying museum highlights the relationship between geology and mining (nitrates, copper, etc.) in this very important region. Signs only in spanish, though an only basic command of spanish is necessary to appreciate it.

Stayed at the Terrado, nice clean hotel, My only complaint would be that no one really takes care of the waters in the bay they have...gorgeous view until you look at the trash in the water. Kills the mood

Antofagasta is quite a nice city and there's a lot to offer for the region. There are a lot of good places to eat and you see a lot of interesting culture. The ocean boulevard is safe to walk at night but i wouldn't steer too far off it. Robbery and crime is apparent

The city as such seems less pretty than functional. However, impressive graffity-art makes walking around the city a great experience. The city museum is for free and provides a solid introduction to the mining history of the city. We afterwards visited one of the abandoned mining towns in the desert close to antofagasta (chacabuco). It was impressive. The entrance fee was 2000 CLP.

It is a unique city that is the center for copper mining business in the while world. It is expensive, as the purchasing power of the miners is high, but it still has the vibe and mood of a small town. People are nice and the weather is ideal all year long. What it lacks in design and architecture, it makes up with gorgeous desertic surroundings and the clearest skies in the world. As a proof of this, the Paranal observatory, which has even better resolution than the Hubble Telescope, is in this region, which also is the home of the ALMA radiotelescope observatory.