Today we are in Iquique, Chile (pronounced “ee-KEE-kay”) and this is our last port before we disembark in two days at the Port of Valparaiso. This has been a wonderful trip and we will miss this beautiful ship and the wonderful crew!
Here’s what the Viking Daily had to say about Iquique: One of Chile’s premier beach resorts, Iquique enjoys a scenic locale between the Pacific Ocean and the Pampa del Tamarugal, a vast plateau within the Atacama Desert. This bustling city on the turquoise bay was once part of Peru and grew prosperous from saltpeter mining, a form of potassium nitrate. It was ceded to Chile in 1883 after the War of the Pacific. Today, Iquique boasts many architectural treasures around its central Arturo Prat Square, from the stately Municipal Theater and the elegant Casino Espanol to a Gothic and Moorish-style Clock Tower. The city’s well-preserved Georgian-style homes are a picturesque legacy from the 19th-century mining boom.
I agree, this was a very picturesque city - at least “parts” of it was! I suppose this is true of any big city. Speaking of “Picturesque”, I believe the view of the city from the ship is stunning and really shows how the mountainous desert butts up against the city with the ocean beyond. Obviously, little rainfall here so the dry air makes life somewhat difficult.
We took the included tour: Iquique at a Glance. We boarded a coach and took a guided tour through town to Astoreca Palace for a glimpse into the impressive mansions and the privilege life of the nitrate barons. Astoreca Palace, a refurbished “mansion” belonged to Juan Higinio Astoreca who was a nitrate entrepreneur. The home was built in 1903/1904 for his family but he died before the house was finished and they were never able to live there. Most of the furnishings are original to the home. The house has not been well cared for and I’m sure the dry weather conditions make care even harder. The house now is a museum and is being restored by the University. Note the resident kitty cat who made us feel welcome!
This group of photos depict the Astoreca Palace as well as the neighborhood it is located in. The whole area seems to be in a revitalization process and is an up and coming part of the city. The homes in the neighborhood are all painted different colors which adds to its charm.
These photos show the beautiful architecture of the “mansion”. When this home was built in 1903, it was considered “state of the art” and included expensive woodwork, wallpaper, lighting and furnishings. The entrance hall ceiling is phenomenal!
The portraits are of Astoreca’s son and wife.
The Parlor and Dining Room
The Billiard Room, Staircase to Second Floor and Resident Kitty.
After the house visit, our tour took us by the renowned Cavancha Beach and Universidad Arturo Prat on the way to Arturo Prat Square, where we toured the beautiful Municipal Theater, admired the clock tower and enjoyed a Pisco Sour and tapas at Centro Espanol Casino with some new friends from the ship. A Pisco Sour is made with pica lemons and Pisco and is the national drink of Chile and Peru. By the way, we found out that in South America a “casino” has two meanings. It can be a place to gamble, but more often it is simply a place to dine!
On the way to see the university, beach and square, we passed a current typical residential area. We were amazed at the abundance of overhead wiring.
Here is the University Area. There was an upcoming election, so political signage was abundant.
More city views taken from the coach window.
Cavancha Beach was stunning! Lots of tourists flock here and enjoy surfing. According to our guide, waterfront condos typically cost 100+K for a one bedroom and 300+K for a two-three bedroom unit.
Arturo Prat Square was beautiful, bustling with fun energy and stunning architecture.
Here we are about to enter the Municipal Theatre. It has just been renovated and is absolutely stunning. There were TV news reporters there taking our photos as we toured for their evening news program. By the way, as you can tell from the flannel shirt and jean jacket - it was a bit chilly in Chile!
Ceilings! Just WOW!
Here we are on stage!
Here’s our tour group from the Viking Polaris.
As we left the theatre we enjoyed the view of the Famous Clock Tower and boardwalk. I was enamored with the little boy playing in the water. Below are more photos of the square.
Here and below are photos of the Casino where we enjoyed our Tapas and Pisco Sours. All the tile work inside was incredible!
Inside the casino, Mark and I enjoyed getting our photo snapped next to statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza!
After our snack in the “casino”, our coach took us back to the ship where we “dined” in the world cafe with our new friends! We are sorry that we didn’t get a photo of all of us. We are also sorry that this was the end of the cruise because we would have enjoyed meeting up with these two couples again! Ah, the life of cruising! At any rate, we enjoyed our time in Iquique very much! Say that three times - Iquique, Iquique, Iquique!
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