In the 19th century, salt was one of the most coveted products in northern Chile. Discover how salt was extracted at the Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works, two iconic factories in Tarapacá that have been declared World Heritage Sites, on our day trip.
Description
At the indicated time, we'll pick you up from your hotel in Iquique and head east towards the Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works. These former industrial sites, located in the Chilean region of Tarapacá, have been declared a World Heritage Site due to their exceptional cultural and historical value.
We'll learn about the importance of this industry for the region, in which Iquique became one of its main hubs. Ships carrying sodium nitrate, much of which was exported to Europe, docked at its port. But why was it so highly valued in Europe? We'll find out as we visit these two old factories, which are located in the middle of the desert in the Tamarugal pampas.
The tour will start at the Santa Laura Saltpeter Works. Here, we'll see the large leaching machine necessary for production and visit the old Administrator's House, which is now a museum about life in this industry. As we'll see, exporting nitrate gave the country an economic boost.
Our next stop will be at the Humberstone Saltpeter Office, where we'll visit the most important parts of the factory. In addition to visiting the old industrial halls, we'll also see the civilian buildings. A real city was built next to the factory with a theatre, a swimming pool, a church and many other facilities.
After visiting the Humberstone Saltpeter Works. we'll return to your hotel in Iquique and drop you off after 5 hours total.
