Chañaral, Chile

Chañaral is just a small coastal town in the Atacama Region of Chile. Covering an area of 5,722 sq km (2,209 sq mi), it has a population of 13,500 (2011 estimate). Chañaral serves as the provincial capital for Chañaral Province.

Plaza Chañaral, Chile
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2005.11.08_053_Plaza_Cha%C3%B1aral_Chile.jpg
Author: Herman Luyken


Chañaral is off the beaten track, as tourists are likely to speed past it for bigger towns such as Copiapó or San Petro de Atacama. However, those who stop by will find a charming little town worth a bit of exploring.

Chañaral was founded in 1833 and was originally known as Chañaral de las Ánimas. Like many of the early settlements in the area, the reason for its founding was related to copper mining.

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