If there’s anything I like better than pickles, it’s abandoned buildings. There is so much beauty in what once was, picturing the building in its hay day, relishing in the stories it’s seen and of which it’s been a part, wondering if ghosts really occupy it at night… Take that and give me an entire abandoned town, a ghost town, and I’m in heaven.
Humberstone, Chile is one of these forgotten ghost towns, along with nearby Santa Laura.
Established in 1872, Humberstone was built up in the Atacama Desert, outside of Iquique, as a town for the nitrate miners. In the 1940s, while nitrate mining was still a booming business Humberstone boasted a population of 3,700. When synthetic nitrates caught on the mines were forced to close, creating a ghost town by the end of the 1960s.
Arena and stands for watching a football (or soccer) match.
The first thing you notice upon entering Humberstone is the silence; like any good desert ghost town, you’ll expect to see a tumbleweed rolling through town at some point.
A thriving community in it’s day- the theater providing culture and entertainment. The theater sported wooden benches and stage for cultural events
Long Shadows are common in the bright sun of this long forgotten desert ghost town
Humerstone, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a little off the beaten path, but definitely worth the time and energy to get there. Plan at least a day for exploring.
If you’re driving, here’s how to arrive: Heading out of Iquique, take Bulnes and Pedro Prado Streets to arrive at Pampino Roundabout, heading uphill, towards Alto Hospicio, connecting onto A-16. Stay on A-16 towards la Salitrera Humberstone and Santa Laura for about 45 minutes (appx. 45 km from Iquique). You’ll pass Santa Laura first, on the right hand side of the road. Humberstone is on the left side of the road, and definitely where you should start.
Everything, from clothes to equipment was left behind.
Nearby Santa Laura holds as much intrigue as Humberstone, it will take at least a day to explore them both.
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