Hoya, Germany cruise port guide

About Hoya, Germany

Antofagasta is a port city in northern Chile, situated on the Pacific coast at the edge of the Atacama Desert, approximately 1,100 km north of Santiago. Closely tied to copper and lithium mining, the city serves as the chief service hub for one of Chile's major mining regions. A refurbished seafront promenade and several artificial beaches make it a functional stopover for travellers heading to San Pedro de Atacama.

The natural arch of La Portada, a yellowish rock formation rising from the Pacific along a cliff coast north of the city, is the most photographed landmark in the region. In the city centre, Plaza Colón features an exact replica of London's Big Ben, built in 1912 by Antofagasta's British community. The adjacent Plaza Sotomayor hosts a market with a row of small restaurants offering inexpensive set lunches. The Ruinas de Huanchaca preserve the remnants of a 19th-century silver smelting works. At the fishermen's harbour, sea lions and pelicans congregate around fish-processing activity. The Mano del Desierto sculpture — a giant hand emerging from the desert sand — lies 75 km from the city.