Region · Chile
# Atacama Region

Atacama Region is a region of Chile. It had an estimated 318,004 people in 2022 on 75,697 km² (about 4.2 per km²). Its main town is Copiapó. It is divided into 3 provinces. 440 named villages and localities are recorded here, and 1,180 mapped services such as hospitals, banks and schools.
- 318,004 people (2022)
- 75,697 km²
- 3 provinces
- 1,180 mapped services

## How many people live in Atacama Region?

Atacama Region had an estimated 318,004 people in 2022 — 1.6% of Chile, 13th of 16 regions. There are 982 women for every 1,000 men (below the Chile figure of 1,027). Spread over 75,697 km², that is about 4.2 people per km², 14th of 16 regions.

21.9% of people are children under 15 and 11.6% are 65 or older; the median age is about 34 years (it is 36 across Chile). For every 100 people of working age (15–64) there are 50 children and older people.
- 0–4 20,643
- 5–9 23,718
- 10–14 25,323
- 15–19 20,272
- 20–24 20,629
- 25–29 24,325
- 30–34 27,173
- 35–39 23,620
- 40–44 21,265
- 45–49 19,770
- 50–54 19,099
- 55–59 18,789
- 60–64 16,561
- 65–69 13,525
- 70–74 9,310
- 75–79 6,181
- 80+ 7,801

Source: UNFPA and Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas de Chile (INE) via OCHA HDX, population 2022 (COD-PS, CC BY-IGO).

## Where is Atacama Region?

Atacama Region lies in Chile. It borders 2 other regions: Antofagasta Region and Coquimbo Region. By area it is the 4th largest of 16 regions in Chile. It covers 10.0% of Chile. The centre of Atacama Region is about 676 km in a straight line from Santiago, the capital. The centre point is at 27.4105° S, 69.9317° W.

Source: La Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (BCN) via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO).

## Things to see in and around Atacama Region

OpenStreetMap lists 159 named sights in Atacama Region: 32 viewpoints; 24 attractions; 17 nature reserves; 15 volcanos; 15 memorials; 14 beachs; 13 museums; 13 archaeological sites; 6 ruins; 5 monuments; 2 castles and forts; 1 waterfall; 1 cave; 1 gallery.
- Edificio Los Portales · museum
- Museo Casa Tornini · museum
- Museo Histórico Militar de Copiapó · museum
- Museo Inca de Oro · museum
- Museo Interactivo Digital · museum
- Museo Mineralógico · museum
- Museo Paleontológico de Caldera · museum
- Museo Regional de Atacama · museum
- Museo de Chañaral 'Rodulfo A. Philippi' · museum
- Museo de mina San José · museum
- Museo del Huasco "Alfonso Sanguinetti Mulet" · museum
- Museo minero de Tierra Amarilla · museum
- Sala Museográfica Quebrada de Pinte · museum
- Choza Changa · archaeological site
- Establecimiento Metalurgista de Viña del Cerro · archaeological site
- Establecimiento metalurgista inca de Viña del Cerro · archaeological site
- Finca Chañaral · archaeological site
- Finca Chañaral Alto · archaeological site
- Iglesia Colorada · archaeological site
- Las Pircas · archaeological site
- Palacio Incaico La Puerta · archaeological site
- Petroglifos Las Lisas · archaeological site
- Pintadas de Capote · archaeological site
- Pircas del Rubio Mugre · archaeological site
- Pucará de Punta Brava · archaeological site
- Sitio Arqueológico de Pinte · archaeological site
- Fortaleza Esmeralda · castle or fort
- Villa Viña de Cristo · castle or fort
- Cascada Congelada · waterfall
- Bien Nacional Protegido Isla Grande · nature reserve

…and 129 more.

Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements.

Named attractions, museums, viewpoints, historic sites and natural features mapped in OpenStreetMap. Places of worship are not listed.

## Know before you go: Atacama Region
- Time zone UTC−3 (summer UTC−4) · America/Santiago
- Currency Peso (CLP)
- Country calling code +56
- Languages Spanish
- Plug types Type C, L · 220 V
- Driving side Right
- Postcode format 7 digits (#######)

### Nearest airports
- Desierto de Atacama Airport (CPO) · Copiapo 85 km
- Ricardo García Posada Airport (ESR) · El Salvador 123 km

### Daylight

Days are longest in Dec (about 13.9 hours, sunrise around 06:39) and shortest in Jun (about 10.4 hours, sunrise around 08:27, sunset around 18:52).
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
| Jan | 06:57 | 20:39 | 13.7 h |
| Feb | 07:22 | 20:25 | 13.0 h |
| Mar | 07:40 | 19:58 | 12.3 h |
| Apr | 07:56 | 19:23 | 11.5 h |
| May | 08:12 | 18:59 | 10.8 h |
| Jun | 08:27 | 18:52 | 10.4 h |
| Jul | 08:28 | 19:02 | 10.6 h |
| Aug | 08:11 | 19:18 | 11.1 h |
| Sep | 07:38 | 19:31 | 11.9 h |
| Oct | 07:04 | 19:46 | 12.7 h |
| Nov | 06:41 | 20:08 | 13.5 h |
| Dec | 06:39 | 20:30 | 13.9 h |

Source: GeoNames country and time-zone files (CC BY 4.0); Wikidata (CC0) — plug types, mains voltage, driving side; retrieved 2026-11-03; OurAirports (public domain).

Airports with scheduled passenger flights; straight-line distances. Daylight is calculated for the 15th of each month in local standard time. Check entry and visa rules with official government sources before travelling.

## Provinces of Atacama Region
| Province | People | per km² | Area km² | Communes | Services |
| Copiapó Province | 208,456 | 6.4 | 32,726 | 3 | 715 |
| Huasco Province | 82,302 | 4.5 | 18,204 | 4 | 304 |
| Chañaral Province | 27,246 | 1.1 | 24,768 | 2 | 161 |

Source: La Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (BCN) via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO); UNFPA and Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas de Chile (INE) via OCHA HDX, population 2022 (COD-PS, CC BY-IGO).

## Largest towns in Atacama Region
- Copiapó 129,280
- Vallenar 44,895
- Caldera 16,150
- Diego de Almagro 13,925
- Tierra Amarilla 12,898
- Huasco 8,977
- Freirina 6,038
- Alto del Carmen 5,034

Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features.

Populations as recorded in GeoNames, which may be older than the estimates above.

## Landscape and landmarks of Atacama Region

Named natural and historic features inside Atacama Region, from the GeoNames gazetteer.

### Water

129 rivers and streams; 12 lakes; 2 reservoirs and tanks.
- Arroyo Laguna Chica
- Arroyo Laguna de Montosa
- Arroyo Tolar
- Arroyo Valeriana
- Arroyo de Valeriano
- Cajón del Encierro
- Embalse Lautaro
- Estero Come Caballos
- Estero Plata Alta
- Estrecho River
- Laguna Chica
- Laguna Escondida
- Laguna Grande
- Laguna Llano Blanco
- Laguna Los Helados
- Laguna Santa Rosa
- Laguna Valeriano
- Laguna Verde
- Laguna de Eulogio
- Laguna de Montosa
- Laguna del Bayo
- Laguna del Negro Francisco
- Quebrada Acerillos
- Quebrada Agua del Cerro

…and 119 more.

### Coast and islands

58 headlands; 8 islands; 4 beaches; 2 lagoons.
- Cabo Bascuñán
- Cabo Falso Pan de Azúcar
- Isla Carrizal
- Isla García
- Isla Grande
- Isla Guacolda
- Isla Pan de Azúcar
- Isla Ruky
- Islote Cima Cuadrada
- Islote Ramadas
- Laguna El Encierro
- Laguna Ojos de Aguas
- Playa Blanca
- Playa Brava
- Playa de Maldonado
- Playa de la Gallina
- Punta Achurra
- Punta Alcalde
- Punta Bandurrias
- Punta Barranquillas
- Punta Blanca
- Punta Cabeza de Vaca
- Punta Cachos
- Punta Caldera

…and 48 more.

### Hills and mountains

627 mountains; 135 mountain passes; 93 hills; 4 glaciers; 1 peak.
- Cerro Ermitaño · 6,118 m
- Cerro Azufre · 6,044 m
- Cerro El Fraile · 6,009 m
- Cerro del Toro · 5,911 m
- Cerro Azufrera de Los Cuyanos · 5,889 m
- Cerro Laguna Verde · 5,865 m
- Cerro Mulas Muertas · 5,864 m
- Nevado Jotabeche · 5,862 m
- Nevado León Muerto · 5,761 m
- Pico Wheelwright · 5,758 m
- Cerro del Juncalito · 5,675 m
- Cerro El Pintado · 5,636 m
- Cerro Los Tronquitos · 5,636 m
- Cerro del Gallo · 5,569 m
- Cerro de Caserones · 5,519 m
- Cerro Solo · 5,502 m
- Cerro Negro Grande · 5,464 m
- Cerro del Medio · 5,442 m
- Cerro Aguas Blancas · 5,435 m
- Cerro Tres Cruces · 5,412 m
- Cerro Sin Nombre · 5,373 m
- Cerro Plomizo · 5,371 m
- Cerro Panteón de Aliste · 5,346 m
- Cerro Sur Caserones · 5,342 m

…and 836 more.

### Forests and nature

1 nature reserve.
- Pan de Azúcar National Park

### History

6 ruins.
- Codocedo
- El Molle
- Juan Godoy
- La Dieciocho
- Pajonales
- San Bartolo

### Getting around

41 railway stations; 14 airfields; 5 airports; 2 ports; 1 harbour; 1 railway halt; 1 lighthouse.
- Aeródromo Chamonate
- Aeródromo Chañaral
- Aeródromo Potrerillos
- Algarrobal
- Algarrobal
- Alto del Carmen Tres Quebradas Airport
- Alto del Fraile
- Barranquilla
- Bodeguilla
- Caldera
- Caldera Railway Station (historical)
- Carpa Número Dos
- Carpa Número Uno
- Carrizal Bajo
- Caserón
- Castilla
- Chañaral Airport
- Checo
- Desierto de Atacama Airport
- Desierto de Atacama Airport
- Domeyko
- El Carmen
- El Pleito
- El Salvador

…and 41 more.

Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features.

Places of worship are not listed. Elevations are from the GeoNames terrain model and are approximate.

## Weather in Atacama Region and the best time to visit

In Atacama Region, the warmest month is Jan (average 20 °C) and the coolest is Jul (13 °C). About 41 mm of rain falls in a year; the wettest month is Jun (7 mm) and the driest Oct (1 mm). The most comfortable months for a visit are January to December.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
| Month | Average °C | Rain mm |
| Jan | 20 | 3 |
| Feb | 19 | 3 |
| Mar | 19 | 3 |
| Apr | 17 | 2 |
| May | 15 | 5 |
| Jun | 13 | 7 |
| Jul | 13 | 6 |
| Aug | 14 | 5 |
| Sep | 15 | 2 |
| Oct | 17 | 1 |
| Nov | 18 | 2 |
| Dec | 19 | 2 |

Source: NASA POWER climatology, retrieved 2026-10-29.

## Hospitals, banks and other services in Atacama Region

Places mapped inside Atacama Region in open map data, by type — each number opens the full list with locations.
- Hospitals 57
- Banks 51
- ATMs 1
- Petrol pumps 51
- Hotels 205
- Shopping malls 23
- Schools 237
- Colleges and universities 27
- Cinemas 5
- Pharmacies 42
- Restaurants 411
- Police stations 33
- Dental clinics 37

Source: Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Coverage depends on what has been mapped; contact details are not shown.

## Quick answers
- Where is Atacama Region? In Chile
- What is the population of Atacama Region? 318,004 (2022 estimate)
- What is the median age in Atacama Region? About 34 years (2022 estimate)
- What is the population density of Atacama Region? About 4.2 people per km²
- What borders Atacama Region? Antofagasta Region and Coquimbo Region
- What is there to see in Atacama Region? Acantilados Playa Carrizalillo, Acueducto Amolanas, Acueducto de Amolanas, Antiguo Terminal de Hierro
- What time zone is Atacama Region in? UTC−3 (summer UTC−4)
- What currency is used in Atacama Region? Peso (CLP)
- What language is spoken in Atacama Region? Spanish (main languages nationally)
- What is the largest town in Atacama Region? Copiapó
- How many reservoirs and tanks are in Atacama Region? 2 named in GeoNames
- What is the highest point in Atacama Region? Cerro Ermitaño (6,118 m, GeoNames elevation model)
- What is the best time to visit Atacama Region? January to December
- How many hospitals are in Atacama Region? 57 mapped
- How many banks are in Atacama Region? 51 mapped
- How many ATMs are in Atacama Region? 1 mapped
- How many petrol pumps are in Atacama Region? 51 mapped
- What is the P-code of Atacama Region? CL03 (OCHA common operational dataset)

At a glance
- Type: Region
- Area: 75,697.3 km²
- P-code: CL03
- Main town: Copiapó

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Canonical: https://wherepedia.org/chile/atacama/ · Updated 2026-11-03 · Data: national censuses and statistics offices (sources named in each section); © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); Overture Maps; GeoNames; NASA POWER.