The nitrate Ghost towns of Humberstone & Santa Laura
We invite you to a tour of the 2 most touristy former Saltpeter Works in the North of Chile, we refer to the Santa Laura industrial plant and the ghost town of Humberstone, both declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These site museums reflect our nitrate past as a country and our tour guides will invite you to travel back in time with a story full of emotions. Both nitrate plants are located one hour from the city of Iquique.
General Information
- Entrance ticket to Humberstone + water on route.
- English spoken Tour guide.
- Covid-19 prevention kit: mask + alcohol gel.
- Sanitized vehicle as Covid-19 prevention.
Itinerary
We invite you to live an unforgettable experience in the driest desert in the world knowing the history of the White Gold and visiting the nitrate ruins where the nitrate worker forged his roots and left his culture and lifestyle embodied in these ruins.
Departure from lodging at 8:30 am towards the ghost towns and former nitrate works of Humberstone and Santa Laura (declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO). In these lands the saltpeter was extracted to be exported to Europe and the USA.
We will walk through its dusty streets to visit its ruins where you can see typical buildings such as the Theater, Market, Grocery Store, Hospital, School and Humberstone Hotel.
Then in Santa Laura, we will visit the Industrial Plant for the production of Saltpeter (Shank’s System), and the Casona Museo (former Administration House).
Arrival to Iquique at 1:00 p.m.
Route
Gallery
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