10 Best Sights in El Norte Grande, Chile

One of the last nitrate plants in the region, Humberstone closed in 1960 after operating for nearly 100 years. Now it's a ghost town where ancient machines creak and groan in the wind. You can wander through the central square and along the streets of the company town, where almost all of the original buildings survive. The theater, with its rows of empty seats, is particularly eerie. Take the time to explore beyond the residential area, heading out into the desert where the machines lie rusting in the wind.

Just south of the city center on Avenida Balmaceda is Playa Cavancha, a long stretch of white, sandy beach that's great for families and often crowded. You can stroll along the boardwalk and touch the llamas and alpacas at the petting zoo. There's also a walk-through aquarium housing a group of yacares, small crocodiles that inhabit the rivers of Bolivia, Argentina, and Uruguay. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; surfing; swimming.

Leading out from Plaza Prat is this pedestrian mall with wooden sidewalks. This is a great place for an afternoon stroll past some of Iquique's salitrera-era mansions or for a leisurely cappuccino in one of the many sidewalk cafés. An antique trolley runs the length of the mall.

Along the historic Calle Baquedano is this natural history museum of the Tarapacá region. It displays paleontological collections, pre-Columbian cultures, and archaeological artifacts such as arrowheads, as well as an eclectic collection from the region's nitrate heyday. Also on display are war artifacts from the Pacific and Aymara ethnographic collections from the Isluga territory. Every month the museum has exhibits of modern local art.

For a tantalizing view into the opulence of the nitrate era, visit this Georgian-style palace. Built in 1903, it includes highlights such as the likeness of Dionysus, the Greek god of revelry; a giant billiard table; and a beautiful skylight over the central hall. An art- and natural-history museum on the upper level houses rotating exhibitions by Chilean artists and artifacts such as pottery and textiles.

Thirteen km (8 miles) south of the city center on Avenida Balmaceda, Playa Blanca is a sandy spot that you can often have all to yourself and enjoy the active sealife. Amenities: food and drink; parking. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

If you crave privacy, head south on Avenida Balmaceda to Playa Brava, a pretty beach that's often deserted except for young people lighting bonfires in the evening. The currents here are quite strong, so swimming is not recommended. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets. Best for: sunset; surfing.

Life in the city revolves around this plaza, where children ride bicycles along the sidewalks and adults chat on nearly every park bench. The 1877 Torre Reloj, with its gleaming white clock tower and Moorish arches, stands in the center of the plaza.

Unlike most cities, Iquique does not have a cathedral on the main plaza. Instead, you'll find the sumptuous Teatro Municipal, built in 1890 as an opera house. The lovely statues on the Corinthian-columned facade represent the four seasons.