Juan López is a small fishing village and beach about 38 kilometres north of Antofagasta, popular with Antofagastinos as a weekend escape and a base for water sports along the coast. The sheltered bay offers calmer waters than the open coast south of the city, and the consistent onshore winds make it one of the better spots for windsurfing and kitesurfing in northern Chile.
The beach itself is a broad strip of coarse sand backed by the arid hills typical of the Atacama coastal zone. The village has a handful of seafood restaurants where the catch is cooked simply and served fresh — grilled fish and ceviche are the standards. On weekends in summer the beach fills with local families; during the week it is much quieter.
The road north from Antofagasta to Juan López passes La Portada, making it easy to combine both in a half-day trip by car. There is no public transport to Juan López; you need a rental car or taxi.