Chañaral, located 167 km away from Copiapó, is the capital city of the province of the same name. It is one of the coastal cities belonging to the Atacama Region and owes its name to the abundant presence of the tree called chañares. Chañaral limits to the north with Taltal, to the east with Diego de Almagro, to the south with Caldera and Copiapó, and finally to the west with the Chilean Sea.
You can get to Chañaral mainly by land, through the Panamerican highway, route number 5. Since the mid-nineteenth century, the town of Chañaral was relevant in the Atacama Region thanks to the discovery of large amounts of copper. The first mine was originally known as the Ánimas mineral deposit, which is why the town became known as “Chañaral de las Ánimas”. Eventually the exploitation of the mineral forced the old port of the town to transport it, and with that new economic activities came to the small town. During the late nineteenth century, Chañaral was a small town but with economic activity and public services typical of a large city.
One of the most visited places in Chañaral is the Monumental Lighthouse of Chañaral and the Plaza de Armas that is located near the coast. Nowadays you can find a variety of hotels and inns that have been built overlooking the sea. You can also enjoy a pleasant walk along the Paseo Eugenio Luque, which runs along the seafront.
To travel to Chañaral by land you can search all the different transport options on kupos.com, here you can find the available routes of carpool, bus companies with services to Chañaral, such as Pullman Bus and Expreso Norte; or private services that you can quote from the city of your choice. In kupos.com you can find the transport you want and pay easily using our app with any card or in cash.