On the edge of a bay, nearly 700 km south of Arica, Antofagasta is the largest city in northern Chile and the fourth largest in the country. It is not a terribly attractive place, perhaps only worth stopping at to break a long journey. That said, the combination of the tall mountains and the ocean is dramatic, and after a week in the desert interior it is pleasant to breathe the sea air while relaxing on one of the beaches south of town. Apart from the lack of rain, the climate is pleasant; the temperature varies from 16°C in June and July to 24°C in January and February, never falling below 10°C at night. The city’s economy depends on the enormous mine at La Escondida in the interior, where 8000 people work, doing week-long shifts at the mine before spending a week in the city; the city’s port also acts as the processing point for the copper from La Escondida and Chuquicamata. As well as being the capital of Región II, Antofagasta is also an important commercial centre and the home of two universities.
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