# Chañaral Province, Atacama Region – Population, Communes & Map

> Source: https://wherepedia.org/chile/atacama/chanaral/

Province · Atacama Region 

# Chañaral Province

Chañaral Province is a province of Chile in Atacama Region. It had an estimated **27,246 people** in 2022 on 24,768 km² (about 1.1 per km²). Its main town is Chañaral. It is divided into 2 communes. 57 named villages and localities are recorded here, and 161 mapped services such as hospitals, banks and schools.

- 27,246people (2022)
- 24,768km²
- 2communes
- 161mapped services

## How many people live in Chañaral Province?

Chañaral Province had an estimated **27,246 people** in 2022 — 8.6% of Atacama Region, 48th of 56 provinces. There are 969 women for every 1,000 men (below the Atacama Region figure of 982). Spread over 24,768 km², that is about **1.1 people per km²**, 48th of 56 provinces.

23.4% of people are children under 15 and 10.9% are 65 or older; the median age is about 35 years (it is 34 across Atacama Region). For every 100 people of working age (15–64) there are 52 children and older people.

0–4 ****1,781**

5–9 ****2,169**

10–14 ****2,430**

15–19 ****1,688**

20–24 ****1,444**

25–29 ****1,920**

30–34 ****2,317**

35–39 ****2,129**

40–44 ****1,967**

45–49 ****1,708**

50–54 ****1,580**

55–59 ****1,698**

60–64 ****1,446**

65–69 ****1,138**

70–74 ****762**

75–79 ****509**

80+ ****560**

Source: [UNFPA and Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas de Chile (INE) via OCHA HDX, population 2022 (COD-PS, CC BY-IGO)](https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ps-chl).

## Where is Chañaral Province?

Chañaral Province lies in [Atacama Region](https://wherepedia.org/chile/atacama/), [Chile](https://wherepedia.org/chile/). It borders 2 other provinces: [Antofagasta Province](https://wherepedia.org/chile/antofagasta/antofagasta/) and [Copiapó Province](https://wherepedia.org/chile/atacama/copiapo/). By area it is the 9th largest of 56 provinces in Chile. It covers 32.7% of [Atacama Region](https://wherepedia.org/chile/atacama/). The centre of Chañaral Province is about 823 km in a straight line from Santiago, the capital. It is about 160 km from Copiapó, the main town of Atacama Region. The centre point is at 26.1224° S, 69.5229° W.

Source: [La Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (BCN) via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO)](https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ab-chl).

## Things to see in and around Chañaral Province

OpenStreetMap lists 35 named sights in Chañaral Province: 10 viewpoints; 7 attractions; 4 memorials; 3 museums; 3 volcanos; 2 beachs; 2 ruins; 2 archaeological sites; 1 monument; 1 waterfall.

- Museo Inca de Oro · museum
- Museo Interactivo Digital · museum
- Museo de Chañaral 'Rodulfo A. Philippi' · museum
- Finca Chañaral · archaeological site
- Finca Chañaral Alto · archaeological site
- Cascada Congelada · waterfall
- Playa Dulce · beach
- Playa Piqueros · beach
- El Mirador · viewpoint
- Estuario del Río Salado · viewpoint
- Loberas · viewpoint
- Mirador · viewpoint
- Mirador Lobera · viewpoint
- Playa Hippie · viewpoint
- Playa Las Pocitas · viewpoint
- Playa Los Médanos · viewpoint
- Playa Portofino · viewpoint
- ¨Playa Villa Alegre · viewpoint
- Camino del Inca · attraction
- Cascada Juncalito · attraction
- Chañaral · attraction
- Lagoon Tristan · attraction
- Lagunas de Pedernales · attraction
- Termas de Juncalito · attraction
- salar de pedernales · attraction
- B. O'Higgins · memorial
- Cordón del Azufre · volcano
- Fuerte Sargento Aldea · memorial
- Juan Moroni Herrera · monument
- Llanta · ruins

…and 5 more.

Source: [© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright).

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

## Know before you go: Chañaral Province

- Time zoneUTC−3 (summer UTC−4) · America/Santiago
- CurrencyPeso (CLP)
- Country calling code+56
- LanguagesSpanish
- Plug typesType C, L · 220 V
- Driving sideRight
- Postcode format7 digits (#######)

### Nearest airports

- Ricardo García Posada Airport (ESR) · El Salvador32 km
- Desierto de Atacama Airport (CPO) · Copiapo178 km

### Daylight

Days are longest in Dec (about 13.8 hours, sunrise around 06:40) and shortest in Jun (about 10.5 hours, sunrise around 08:22, sunset around 18:53).

Source: [GeoNames country and time-zone files (CC BY 4.0)](https://www.geonames.org/); [Wikidata (CC0) — plug types, mains voltage, driving side; retrieved 2026-11-03](https://www.wikidata.org/); [OurAirports (public domain)](https://ourairports.com/data/).

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.

## Communes of Chañaral Province

Commune People per km² Area km² Localities Services 

[Diego de Almagro](https://wherepedia.org/chile/atacama/chanaral/diego-de-almagro/) 14,137 0.7 19,003 37 69 

[Chañaral](https://wherepedia.org/chile/atacama/chanaral/chanaral/) 13,109 2.3 5,764 20 92 

Source: [La Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (BCN) via OCHA HDX, administrative boundaries (COD-AB, CC BY-IGO)](https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ab-chl); [UNFPA and Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas de Chile (INE) via OCHA HDX, population 2022 (COD-PS, CC BY-IGO)](https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ps-chl).

## Villages and localities in Chañaral Province

Open gazetteers list **57 villages, towns and localities** in Chañaral Province. The largest with a recorded population: Diego de Almagro (13,925). Settlements here lie between about 16 m and 3,984 m above sea level (median 2,404 m).

- Agua Dulce
- Barquito
- Cachiyuyo
- Cajoncito
- Caleta Pan de Azúcar
- Carrizalillo
- Castillo
- Chañaral
- Chorrillos
- Corrales del Juncalito
- Cortadero
- Diego de Almagro
- El Barquito
- El Caleuche
- El Jardín
- El Refugio
- El Salado
- El Salto
- El Salvador
- Finca Agua Dulce
- Flamenco
- Hippie
- Inca de Oro
- Indio Muerto
- Intelec
- Inés Chica
- La Abundancia
- La Guanaca
- La Isla
- La Ola
- La Tranquita
- Las Bombas
- Las Piscinas
- Las Pocitas
- Llanta
- Los Médanos
- Los Sapos
- Mineral El Salvador
- Mineral Potrerillos
- Mocobí
- Montandón
- Mostazal
- Pasto Cerrado
- Pedernales
- Pedro Montt
- Placilla
- Playa Villa Alegre
- Portal del Inca
- Portofino
- Potrerillos
- Pozo del Indio
- Pueblo Hundido
- Puerto Flamenco
- Puerto Pan de Azúcar
- Santa Fe
- Villa Emergencia
- Villa Miramar

Source: [GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features](https://www.geonames.org/); [© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract — named settlements](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright).

## Landscape and landmarks of Chañaral Province

Named natural and historic features inside Chañaral Province, from the GeoNames gazetteer.

### Water

16 rivers and streams; 4 lakes.

- Laguna Escondida
- Laguna Llano Blanco
- Laguna de Eulogio
- Laguna del Bayo
- Quebrada Agua del Cerro
- Quebrada El Asiento
- Quebrada El Salado
- Quebrada Los Maranceles
- Quebrada Los Médanos
- Quebrada Vega Ancha
- Quebrada Vicuña
- Quebrada de Cerro Juncalito
- Quebrada de Río Negro
- Quebrada del Camino
- Río Juncalito
- Río La Ola
- Río Leoncito
- Río Salado
- Río Vega Ancha
- Río de La Sal

### Coast and islands

12 headlands; 1 island.

- Cabo Falso Pan de Azúcar
- Isla Pan de Azúcar
- Punta Achurra
- Punta Flamenco
- Punta Flamenquito
- Punta Infieles
- Punta Los Médanos
- Punta Patch
- Punta Piedra Negra
- Punta Roca Baja
- Punta Rodríguez
- Punta Salado
- Punta Ánimas

### Hills and mountains

181 mountains; 31 mountain passes; 16 hills; 1 peak.

- Cerro Ermitaño · 6,118 m
- Cerro del Toro · 5,911 m
- Cerro Azufrera de Los Cuyanos · 5,889 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 del Gallo · 5,569 m
- Cerro Negro Grande · 5,464 m
- Cerro del Medio · 5,442 m
- Cerro Plomizo · 5,371 m
- Cerro Panteón de Aliste · 5,346 m
- Cerro Largo · 5,291 m
- Cerro de Piedra Parada · 5,267 m
- Cerro Lagunas Bravas · 5,262 m
- Cerro Loma Colorada · 5,225 m
- Cerro Gemelos · 5,223 m
- Cerro del Salar Grande · 5,210 m
- Laguna Escondida · 5,199 m
- Cerro Negro Chato · 5,193 m
- Cerro Colorado Chato · 5,176 m
- Cerro Puntiagudo de la Isla · 5,165 m
- Cerro del Agua · 5,163 m
- Cerro Morado · 5,156 m

…and 205 more.

### Forests and nature

1 nature reserve.

- Pan de Azúcar National Park

### Getting around

8 railway stations; 5 airfields; 1 airport; 1 railway halt.

- Aeródromo Chañaral
- Aeródromo Potrerillos
- Chañaral Airport
- El Carmen
- El Salvador
- Empalme Número Uno
- Encanche
- Guamanga
- Inca
- Inca de Oro
- Llanta
- Paradero José Joaquín Pérez
- Punta Negra
- Río de la Sal
- Serrano

Source: [GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) — settlements, natural and historic features](https://www.geonames.org/).

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

## Weather in Chañaral Province and the best time to visit

In Chañaral Province, the warmest month is Jan (average 14 °C) and the coolest is Jul (5 °C). About 37 mm of rain falls in a year; the wettest month is Jan (6 mm) and the driest Sep (0 mm). The most comfortable months for a visit are **October to April**.

- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec

Month Average °C Rain mm 

Jan 14 6 

Feb 14 6 

Mar 13 5 

Apr 10 3 

May 7 1 

Jun 6 2 

Jul 5 2 

Aug 7 2 

Sep 8 0 

Oct 10 2 

Nov 12 3 

Dec 13 6 

Source: [NASA POWER climatology, retrieved 2026-10-29](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/).

## Hospitals, banks and other services in Chañaral Province

Places mapped inside Chañaral Province in open map data, by type — each number opens the full list with locations.

- Hospitals11
- Banks8
- Petrol pumps11
- Hotels28
- Shopping malls1
- Schools27
- Cinemas1
- Pharmacies4
- Restaurants61
- Police stations7
- Dental clinics2

Source: [Overture Maps places (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)](https://overturemaps.org/).

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

## Quick answers

- Where is Chañaral Province?In Atacama Region, Chile
- What is the population of Chañaral Province?27,246 (2022 estimate)
- What is the median age in Chañaral Province?About 35 years (2022 estimate)
- What is the population density of Chañaral Province?About 1.1 people per km²
- What borders Chañaral Province?Antofagasta Province and Copiapó Province
- What is there to see in Chañaral Province?B. O'Higgins, Camino del Inca, Cascada Congelada, Cascada Juncalito
- What time zone is Chañaral Province in?UTC−3 (summer UTC−4)
- What currency is used in Chañaral Province?Peso (CLP)
- What language is spoken in Chañaral Province?Spanish (main languages nationally)
- How many villages are in Chañaral Province?57 named settlements (GeoNames, OpenStreetMap)
- What is the elevation of Chañaral Province?Settlements lie between 16 m and 3,984 m
- What is the highest point in Chañaral Province?Cerro Ermitaño (6,118 m, GeoNames elevation model)
- What is the best time to visit Chañaral Province?October to April
- How many hospitals are in Chañaral Province?11 mapped
- How many banks are in Chañaral Province?8 mapped
- How many petrol pumps are in Chañaral Province?11 mapped
- What is the P-code of Chañaral Province?CL032 (OCHA common operational dataset)