About 45 kilometres north of Copiapó, the Mina San José is the site of the 2010 mining accident that became one of the most extraordinary survival stories in recent memory. The mine itself is no longer operational, but the site has been developed as a memorial to the 33 miners who spent 69 days trapped underground while the world watched their rescue unfold in real time.
The memorial includes explanatory panels, the rescue capsule replica, and the borehole through which the miners were extracted. It is a sober and affecting place — a reminder that the copper and silver that underwrite Copiapó's existence come at a human cost, and that the people who go underground to extract them sometimes face extraordinary risks. Access requires a vehicle; tours from Copiapó are available.