Tamarugal: Geoglyphs, Salt Flats and Traditions

Tamarugal brings together impressive natural and cultural experiences: geoglyphs, a salt flat in an endorheic basin, evidence of winemaking in an oasis, and traditional festivals. The experiences you want to combine may shape your choice of where to stay. The region offers different ways to plan a trip—from a short walking trail to exploring its landscapes, history and traditions.

Natural landscapes and protected areas

The Pampa del Tamarugal National Reserve includes the Geoglifos de Pintados. These large-scale designs in the landscape add a distinctive cultural dimension to the protected area. Another natural attraction is Huasco Salt Flat National Park: it covers nearly 110,000 hectares and forms an endorheic basin, with a salt lake at its center. The national park is designated both a Ramsar site and a Nature Sanctuary.

Huasco Salt Flat is also a refuge and nesting area for numerous Andean bird species, including Chilean, Andean and James’s flamingos. If you’re interested in this landscape, keep one important detail in mind when planning your trip: there are no facilities or hiking trails in the national park. This makes it very different from the Cerro Pintados Geoglyph Trail, for which specific route information is available.

Geoglyphs and short trails

The Cerro Pintados Geoglyph Trail is a 1-kilometer loop. It is listed as taking 45 minutes and having an easy difficulty level. These details make it a clearly defined way to include geoglyphs in your trip. If you’re planning a day with people of different ages or interests, you may weigh a short, easy trail differently from a visit to a vast natural area without hiking trails.

The administration and CEDAM of the Pampa del Tamarugal National Reserve also provide a specific point of reference: both are located on the Panamericana Norte at kilometer 1787. This road marker can help you pinpoint their location.

Oases, winemaking and local history

In the oasis area of Matilla, the Lagar de Matilla recalls the region’s winemaking history. Classified as a Historic Monument, this site museum preserves material evidence of that past. The Lagar was once used to press grapes for winemaking. Here, you’ll encounter not only a historic building but also a specific stage of the work once carried out in the oasis’s vineyards.

Pica has its own distinctive features: the oasis is known for its special lemons and mangoes. The Iglesia de San Andrés de Pica is a Historic Monument, built between 1880 and 1886. There’s another way to experience the town, too: Pica is recognized as a Starlight Village and is suited to astronomical tourism and the protection of its dark night sky. Oasis fruit, architectural history and stargazing appeal to different interests, so your trip doesn’t have to focus on just one kind of experience.

Festivals and reminders of the saltpeter era

The Fiesta de la Virgen de La Tirana takes place every year on July 16 in the village of La Tirana and is dedicated to the Virgen del Carmen. Over several days, dancers perform in colorful costumes and masks, accompanied by traditional northern brass bands. The Floreo de Animales de Colchane is a traditional Aymara ritual that begins in January: llamas and alpacas are decorated and marked for identification.

Humberstone and Santa Laura offer another perspective on the region’s history. Visitors can stroll among the former buildings and visit a museum about the saltpeter era. Other historic relics include a hotel, a theater, a school and an abandoned train. If you’re especially interested in the region’s history, you can consider this visit alongside the older evidence of winemaking in Matilla—two different ways to explore the local past.

Places and arrival

For getting your bearings at the local level, Pozo Almonte Pozo Almonte, Colchane Colchane, Huara Huara, Pica Pica and La Tirana La Tirana are among the places to consider when looking for a suitable base. Which one fits your travel interests depends on whether you’re most drawn to oasis life, nature, local history or traditions.

To reach Tamarugal, you must first arrive in Iquique, the capital of the Tarapacá Region. When choosing a vacation apartment or house, it’s therefore worth first considering which of Tamarugal’s many facets you most want to discover. This helps you choose where to stay based on your own travel plans rather than a single attraction.

For the broader travel overview: Tarapacá Region.

More destinations

More places in the same destination:

Iquique Province.