Chile - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 403

COPIAPÓ
The prosperous mining town of
COPIAPÓ , 333km north of La Serena,
was founded in 1744 and benefited
greatly from the silver boom of the
1830s. Today, Copiapó still makes its
living from mining, nowadays for
copper . It will forever be linked in many
people's minds with the 2010 rock
collapse at the nearby San José mine,
which left 33 miners (“Los 33”) trapped
underground for 69 days before the
world cheered their safe rescue.
At the heart of Copiapó is the large
Plaza Prat , dotted with pepper trees;
handicraft stalls line the plaza's east side,
facing the mall. The Neoclassical Iglesia
Catedral Nuestra Señora de Rosario graces
the southwest corner, while half a block
from the northwest corner of the square,
at the corner of Colipí and Rodriguez,
is the worthwhile but poorly labelled
Museo Mineralógico (Mon-Fri 10am-
1pm & 3.30-7pm, Sat 10am-1pm;
CH$500; T 52 2206606), with an
impressive mineral collection including
copper, silver ore, part of a meteorite
which landed in the Atacama Desert,
and massive chunks of semi-precious
stones, such as malachite, onyx, jasper
and amethyst.

Calama (2 daily); Iquique (2 weekly); Santiago (10 daily;
1hr 30min).
By bus The Tur Bus terminal is at Freire and Colipí; Terminal
Torreblanca, with numerous carriers, is directly opposite. The
Pullman bus terminal is a block south, at Colipí 109; buses
Casther and Recabarren leave from Caldera stop just east of
the Hiper Lider supermarket at Buena Esperanza 552.
Destinations Antofagasta (6 daily; 5hr); Arica (5 daily;
16hr); Calama (about 5 daily; 10hr); Iquique (6 daily;
13hr); La Serena (5 daily; 5hr); San Pedro de Atacama (at
least 6 daily; 11hr).

INFORMATION
Tourist information Los Carrera 691 (Mon-Fri 8.30am-
6pm, Sat 9am-1pm; Jan-Feb also Sun 10am-1pm; T 52
2231510, E [e-mail]). Extremely helpful
staff, and good stock of maps and leaflets. Conaf has an
o ce at Juan Martínez 55 (Mon-Thurs 8.30am-5.30pm, Fri
8.30am-4.30pm; T 52 2237042, E [e-mail]). Excellent
source of information on Nevado de Tres Cruces and Pan
de Azúcar.

ACCOMMODATION
Residencial Ben Bow Rodriguez 541 T 52 2217634.
Clean, no-fr ills rooms around a narrow courtyard. Doubles
CH$22,000
Residencial Chañarcillo Chañarcillo 741, a block from
the Tur Bus bus station T 52 2213281. A convenient
stopover , with dark but tidy rooms and friendly owners.
Doubles CH$20,000

4

EATING
Café Columbia Plaza Prat on Colipi, at Carrera. Pricey but
excellent, this place serves good coffee and delectable
cake. Breakfasts from CH$4000.
Flor de la Canela Chacabuco 710 T 52 2219570. Popular
but pricey Peruvian restaurant serving up favourites like
lomo saltado , cebiche. Aji de gallina CH$7200.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane Aeropuerto Desierto de Atacama is 45km west
of the city; take Transfer Casther (CH$5000) to Copiapó or
a colectivo (CH$3000) to Caldera. Airport transfers are
operated by Buses Casther ( T 52 2235891).
Destinations Antofagasta (2 weekly); Arica (2 weekly);

COPIAPÓ TOUR OPERATORS
Since the area's national parks are di cult to get to without a sturdy vehicle of your own,
it is easier to go as part of a tour. Day-trip prices are typically around CH$45,000 per person to
the Parque Nacional Pan de Azúcar and CH$60,000 to Parque Nacional Nevado Tres Cruces,
including lunch and entrance fees.
Atacama Chile Maipú 580 T 9 98723652, W atacama
chile.com. Reputable bilingual company running
separate day-trips to Laguna Santa Rosa and Laguna
Verde, as well as 4WD, dirt-biking and sandboarding trips
in the Atacama Desert and diving excursions off the coast.
Atacama Expeditions Infante 661 T 52 2223640,
T 9 98918212, W atacamaexpeditions.cl. Standard
and tailor-made tours of the area for small groups

offered by the extremely knowledgeable local guide,
Ovidio Rodríguez; includes both Laguna Verde and
Laguna Santa Rosa in a day-trip to Nevado Tres Cruces.
Spanish only.
Aventurismo Vallejos 771 T 52 2232455,

aventurismo.cl. Mountaineering outfit specializing
in multi-day ascents of the Ojos de Salado volcano
between November and March.

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