Popular Chilean destinations
Santiago de Chile
Santiago de Chile
Santiago, officially Santiago de Chile, is the capital of Chile and its largest city when viewed as a conurbation (Greater Santiago). It is situated at an elevation of 520 m (1700 ft) in the country's central valley. Although Santiago is the capital, legislative bodies meet in nearby Valparaíso.
Santiago has a mild Mediterranean climate: relatively hot dry summers (November to March) with temperatures reaching up to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) on the hottest days; winters (June to August) are more humid, with typical maximum daily temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit), and minimums of a few degrees above freezing. Occasional snowfall occur on higher suburbs of the city. Mean rainfall is 338 mm per year.
Arica
Plaza Colon de Arica
Arica is a port city in northern Chile, located only 18 km (11 miles) south of the border with Peru. It is the capital of the Arica Province in the Tarapacá Region and has a population of approximately 200,000, and is also known as the "city of the eternal spring". The city was part of Peru until 1880, when it was invaded by Chilean forces during the War of the Pacific. The taking of the Morro de Arica ("Arica Cape"), one of the war's most famous actions, happened in this city. It will be the capital of Arica-Parinacota Region in october 2007.
Iquique
Playa Cavancha, Iquique
Iquique is a city in northern Chile, capital of Tarapacá Region, on the Pacific coast, just west of the Atacama Desert. It is located at 20°13′S, 70°10′W and had a population of 216,419 as of the 2002 census. The city's name comes from the Aymara word "Ique-ique", which translates to "laziness", but can also mean "sleep" or "bed."
Iquique has one of the largest commercial port centers (or Zona Franca) of South America and has been traditionally called Zofri. There are around 2.4 km² of warehouses, banking branches, and restaurants.
La Serena
La Serena
La Serena ("the serene one") is the second oldest city in Chile. The city, located 471 km north of Santiago, has a population of 147,815, according to the 2002 census. There are also 12,333 inhabitants of the immediately surrounding countryside. It is one of the fastest-growing areas of Chile, witnessing a population increase of 32.6% between 1992 and 2002.
A few of the major sectors are: El Centro ("downtown"), Peñuelas (actually a suburb between La Serena and its sister city Coquimbo), San Joaquín (neighborhood on a hill overlooking the ocean), La Florida, Las Compañías ("the companies"), Cerro Grande ("big hill"), La Antena and the new El Milagro ("the miracle") development.
Coquimbo
Coquimbo
Coquimbo is a port city and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Coquimbo lies in a valley 10 km south of La Serena, with which it forms a metropolitan area of more than 300,000 inhabitants. The average temperature in the city lies around 14° C, and it rains is sparse.
The city itself, a gritty industrial and shipping center, is growing quickly, registering a 32.8% growth rate from 1992 to 2002. The population, according to the 2002 Chilean census, was 154,316, with 8,720 people living in the countryside surrounding the city for a total of 163,036 inhabitants of the comuna.
Tourism has started to develop recently. It is a access point for popular beach towns to the south, such as Guanaqueros and Tongoy. The port is still important for shipping, especially fruit. Wine is also grown in the region.