The most rewarding day trip from Iquique is to the UNESCO-listed nitrate ghost towns of Humberstone and Santa Laura, an hour inland — among the most evocative ruins in South America. About 80 kilometres north-east of the city, the colossal Atacama Giant (Gigante de Tarapacá) is etched into a desert hillside near Huara: at 86 metres tall it is the largest pre-Columbian human figure on earth. Beyond those two highlights, the desert north and east of Iquique hides more: the geoglyphs of Cerro Pintados (hundreds of ancient line-figures spread across a desert hillside a few hours by road), the oasis village of Pica with its sweet citrus farms and a thermal swimming pool, and the colonial church at Mamiña hot springs.
Tour agencies along the Cavancha seafront combine several of these into half- or full-day excursions. For more remote desert sites, a 4WD rental is the better option.
