Parque El Loa is the city's main green space and the one place in Calama where you can sit under big trees beside running water — the lifeline Loa River curls through the park, fed up here by Andean snowmelt. Built in the 1980s on what had been bare desert, it is a deliberate piece of municipal greening: lawns, eucalyptus avenues, a children's amusement park, and a swimming pool that operates in summer.
The park also houses the city's archaeological museum and a replica of the church of Chiu Chiu, an oasis village to the north. It is about 2 km south of the centre — a short taxi ride or a 30-minute walk. Free, open daily until early evening.