Iquique

Diego Aracena Airport (IQQ) is roughly 45 km outside the city; confirm provider, pickup, luggage and hotel drop-off when comparing flights. An overland arrival uses the actual bus ticket’s terminal/date; international arrivals need separate crossing/documents checks. Four calendar days give three Iquique nights: day 1 arrival; day 2 historic city/museum/Cavancha; day 3 Humberstone–Santa Laura and return; day 4 departure. Swap full days for admissions, keeping travel outside them. Two nights do not automatically yield two full days. Arrival’s coastal stop stays optional.

Confirm the chosen institution, displays and date; a heritage building is not automatically open. Corbeta Esmeralda publishes guided/seasonal visits, with March–December Monday maintenance closure. Recheck tour availability and interpretation language rather than assuming a place from opening hours. The saltpeter excursion needs both-site time, transport between addresses and back, admission/guiding inclusions, meal, surfaces and closure terms. Reduced-mobility visitors can request vehicle permission at the guard office; confirm the usable route, not every building’s accessibility. If the desert day fails, choose a confirmed second city museum and shorter shore day, not another unregulated ruin.

For paragliding, surfing or desert excursions, verify credentials, equipment, weather decisions and insurance. A rental can serve the desert day after checking driving guidance, parking and current roads; it confers no restricted-site access. For onward Arica, Atacama Coast or San Pedro, confirm the actual connection before adding another separate northern journey.