Calama appears as a refreshing oasis in the middle of the most arid desert in the world. A natural jewel in the north of Chile, it has become the starting point for circuits that lead to a bunch of small villages of Aymara origin, with colonial churches, immaculate salt pans and archaeological remains, which taken together form a wealth of culture and landscape.
In spite of the aura of prosperity currently perceived in the city, mainly coming from the Chuquicamata mines - Chile's main copper supplier- the origins of Calama were less than modest. It was born as a tambo (in quechua -the native language- "stopover and general store on the road"), poor and hardly inhabited, on the road that linked Cobija with Potosi and Arequipa with Copiapo. At that time, the most important village in the area was Chiu-Chiu.
That was the Calama that Diego de Almagro and Pedro de Valdivia found at the dawn of the Spanish conquest. Centuries later, it would become the most important Bolivian administrative center in the area, until it was occupied by the Chilean army on March 23, 1879, after the first battle of the Pacific War.
Today, Calama (2,250 meters above sea level) is the capital of the province of Loa and one of the most important cities in the Antofagasta region. Due to its economic prosperity, evident in its shopping centers and the green productivity of its farms, Calama has become a true oasis in the Chilean pre-Cordillera.

This bonanza has been provided with an efficient and complete tourist infrastructure, by virtue of its being the starting point for tours to numerous local and regional attractions, such as Chuquicamata, the biggest open-cut mine in the world and the main copper supplier in Chile.
But that is not all. The adventure continues through a bunch of indigenous villages, full of magic and charm, such as Chiu Chiu, Caspana, Toconce and Aiquina, or fortress-towns such as Pukara de Lasan and Pukara de Turi, testimonies to the splendor of the ancient Aymaras (Andean ethnical group), which remains alive in the customs and traditions still preserved by the inhabitants of the region. Calama is also the gate to San Pedro de Atacama, a world of its own, comprising not only the most extensive salt pan in the country but also the most arid desert in the world. Besides, there are incredible natural areas, pre-Columbian towns and impressive archaeological remains. That is why Calama is considered "Chile's Archaeological Capital".
A capital which has in the Padre Le Paige Archaeological Museum its best remembrance of the past, with over 380 thousand exhibits reflecting eleven thousand years of the history and development of the Atacaman culture.
Do you need more reasons to visit Atacama? We don't think you do, so make sure you include the name of this Chilean city, a true oasis in the thirsty desert, on your itinerary.