Iquique, the capital of the worlds saltpeter production in the late 19th century and early 20th century, offers us after the white gold's downfall, a commemoration of its time of splendor, through many historical buildings such as the Opera House, and the old family residences which display intricate balconies and wooden latticework on their façades. The coastal city of Iquique, off which the most important naval battle of Chilean history took place, today integrates beautiful beaches, interesting excursions, arid surroundings, and both modern and classical architecture. From Iquique we can visit the saltpeter ghost towns of Santa Laura and Humberstone, both declared National Monuments; and the Pintados Geoglyphs, consisting of some 400 figures distributed over 450.000 square feet of hill slopes.
		© Intrans, 2010