Antofogasta asserts itself on the north-Chilean seashore in a toothy wall of high-rises, set against a dramatic horizon of golden desert mountains along the country's lofty "backbone," the Andes. A long history has played out against this backdrop, from the city's original annexation from Bolivia during the War of the Pacific, to the nitrate boom that put it on the map, to Antofogasta's current status as an industrial center.
Housed in the city's oldest building -- a two-story customs house built in 1866 -- the Museo Regional de Antofogasta presents a variety of exhibits on the area's natural and anthropological history. While much of the collection centers on daily life during the nitrate era, other artifacts extend far back into Chilean prehistory: for example, a skull deformed by early native religious rituals, bric-a-brac from the early colonial era and mummified infants.
Two more cultural relics of the nitrate boom, the Huanchaca Ruins Cultural Park and the Atacama Desert Museum, are housed around a metal foundry in Antofogasta's southern district that shut down in 1902. Huanchaca, which translates as “the bridge of sorrows,” presents monumental industrial ruins as well as five permanent exhibitions describing the complete history of the Atacama Desert -- including its current position as one of the world's most important centers of astronomy. Committed stargazers should continue about 80 miles south of the city to the giant telescopes of Cerro Paranal, open to visitors with advance reservations on the last two weekends of every month.
The after-lunch "siesta" is still very much a part of the Antofogastan daily routine. As part of the practice, the city shuts most of the downtown streets to vehicular traffic around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, freeing the space for a safe, easygoing meander past the city's shops and cafes. Within this central district, be sure to check out Plaza Colon, where British colonial expatriates left a quirky signature on the bloom-laden plaza: They built a look-and-sound-alike replica of London's Big Ben, decorated with intertwined British and Chilean flags.
Antofogasta's Mercado Central, located in a sprawling, peachy pink and baby blue building with a decidedly colonial flair, buzzes with farmers and crafters. Here, vendors sell local fish, meat, vegetables, flowers, fruit and handicrafts from all over the region. While highly photogenic, the space can get hot during the summer months. To take a break, grab street food from one of the kiosks and bring it for a quick picnic in the shaded park that sits across the street from the main entrance.
Braying sea lions and hopeful pelicans crowd the docks around Antofogasta's Terminal Pesquero, the busy marina fish market that serves the city and most of the surrounding region. Check out the colonial architecture around the marina, the Nitrate Dock and the Port Authority, then head over to the Paseo del Mar, a beachside pedestrian promenade built in the early 1980s that comprises several sunny lawns, a beach resort and restaurants.
