Ins and outs
Getting there
Iquique is served by all major bus companies from the south and from Arica – most southbound buses take the coastal road to Tocopilla. There are also daily buses up to Oruro and La Paz in Bolivia. National flights to Arica, Antofagasta and Santiago; international to La Paz. The airport transfer service, US$7, is unreliable; it can be just as cheap to get a taxi if there are a few of you, US$16.
Iquique
Air
Diego Aracena International Airport, 35 km south at Chucumata. Sky, Principal and LanChile fly south to Santiago, via Antofagasta, and north to Arica – some flights continue on to La Paz in Bolivia.
Airline offices
LanChile, Tarapacá 465, T057-427600, http://www.lan.com, and in the Mall Las Américas; Sky, Tarapacá 530, T600- 526200, http://www.skyairline.cl; TAM, Serrano 430, T057-390600, Principal, Plaza Prat 570, http://www.aerolineaprincipal.cl.
Bicycle/motorbike
Motorcycle mechanic, Sergio Cortez, Civet, Bolívar 684, is recommended. Also repairs bikes. English spoken. Bianchi, Bulnes 485, for bike parts, repairs; for sales try the Zofri.
Bus
The bus terminal is at the north end of Patricio Lynch but not all buses leave from here; TurBus has its own terminal, Ramírez y Esmeralda, with a Redbanc ATM and a good luggage store. Bus company offices are near the market on Sgto Aldea and Barros Arana. All southbound buses are stopped for a luggage check on leaving the duty-free zone of Región I at Quillagua on the Pan-American Highway and at Chipana/Río Loa on the coastal Route 1.
To Arica, buses and colectivos, frequent, 4½ hrs, US$11; to Antofagasta, 6 hrs, US$14; to Calama, 6 hrs, US$16-23; to Tocopilla along the coastal road, 3 hrs, US$10; to La Serena, 18 hrs, US$35-70; to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, 26 hrs, US$50; to Santiago, 25 hrs, US$50-75.
Most bus companies for international services to Oruro and La Paz (Bolivia) leave from Esmeralda, near the junction of Juan Martínez (note that some buses go via Arica and Tambo Quemado to La Paz, not via Colchane and Oruro). Litoral Buses, T057- 423670, daily at 2200 to Colchane and Oruro, US$10, to La Paz, US$15; Salvador Buses at 2300, same price; Géminis from the bus terminal to La Paz, via Oruro, more expensive. Delta, Tata Sabaya and Comet all leave from Esmeralda y Juan Martínez 2100-2300 to Oruro (via Colchane), bargain for a good price.
Car
Car hire from Econorent, Labbé y O’Higgins, T600-200 0000, weekend specials; Hertz, A Pinto 1303, T057-510432; airport office T057-407020; IQSA, Labbé 1089, T057- 417068. Jofamar, Libertad 1156, T057- 411639; Procar, Serrano 796, T057-413470, at airport T057-410920. Be wary of cheap deals. Many used jeeps are imported from Japan and have their driving wheels moved over to the left hand side for the Chilean market (not a safe thing to do).
Colectivos/taxis
Any car that looks like a taxi serves is a colectivo unless it says ‘sólo taxi’. Tell the driver where you are going and, if your destination can combine with that of other passengers, he will take you; if you are the first passenger, tell the driver you want to hire the car as a colectivo and he will fit the journeys of subsequent passengers around your destination. The fare is US$0.80 (a little more late at night). Taxi fares are US$2 for journeys within the city centre.
more Iquique photos
