2 Best Sights in Iquique, El Norte Grande

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.