Pan de Azúcar National Park

Information

This is a protected area located on the Pacific coast. It covers mostly the Atacama region and to a lesser extent the Antofagasta region.

To get there, it is about 16 km from the town of Chañaral along Route C-120. In this town there are services such as hotels, restaurants, shops and petrol station. There is also a bus terminal to which public transport arrives from Santiago, Antofagasta, Copiapó and La Serena.

The access road leads to the park ranger office of the national park, which is located by the small village called Caleta Pan de Azúcar. In this sector there are several activities to do:
- In the immediate vicinity is Los Piqueros beach. This beach has clear sand and an excellent view of Pan de Azúcar Island, as well as picnic areas, lodging and camping sites.
- Along the road there is a 1.2 km trail that leads to a viewpoint.
- In Caleta Pan de Azúcar, in high season there are boats that offer trips to Pan de Azúcar Island and to see the Humboldt Penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) that are there, a species that is in danger of extinction.

For those interested in wildlife watching, this is a good place to see a large number of coastal and terrestrial species.