Iquique, with a population of 145,139 inhabitants is 1,845 km from Santiago and 307 km from Arica. Although it is a relatively new city, it possesses important works of architecture, including the Municipal Theater. It is a great fishing center and the port is the biggest exporter in the world of fishmeal.

The city lays great emphasis on the events which took place during the War of the Pacific, for example there is a buoy off the coast to mark the site of the sinking of the Esmeralda in 1879. It is a tax-free area and the Freezone is the biggest in South America; it covers 240 hectares, full of warehouses for the storage of goods, and with a mall where the many varied products are sold.

The beaches are very popular with tourists. You can seek entertainment at the Casino of Iquique and a host of restaurants and discotheques. For those who prefer to travel out of the city, you can visit the abandoned nitrate workings, such as Humberstone, or the village of Pica.