What can I say? I was young and stupid? No. Rather deadly sad and blind with heartbreak. Indeed, I had my heart broken a few days before departure. The number one heartbreak coping strategy for a travel enthusiast is, of course, to book the next ticket to a foreign country. But as I was already on the other side of the world, I ended up on a trip to the north of Chile.
So, without giving it much thought or informing myself beforehand, I simply bought the cheapest regional flight ticket I could find. And in one week’s time I would be on my way already. To Antofagasta, to be precise.
At least my internet research promised me a warm climate, in contrast to cold Viña, an interesting rock formation in the sea and a hand in the desert, which could only be reached after a long drive.
After this trip, my university professor would tease me throughout the whole semester that my first trip to Chile was to Antofagasta. Because you just don’t travel to Antofagasta. Are you ready for a spectacular travelogue?
Day 1:
After a long sleepless night at Santiago airport, I took the plane to Antofagasta early in the morning. When I arrived at the airport, which was a little out of town, the sun was just beginning to rise. So, I waited for daylight so that I could start the morning safely. Before that, I had a small breakfast and a much-needed coffee. Afterwards, I ordered an Uber.
Before heading into the city, I wanted to visit La Portada, a stone formation that looks like a gate in the sea. This attraction is about halfway between the airport and the city. On the way, the Uber driver told me that he had never been there himself and didn’t know the way exactly
My First Solo Travel Horror Experience
At some point, we drove off the highway onto a road with very little traffic. Later, we turned left onto a gravel road, because the driver assumed that this was where the nature attraction was located. When we stopped, there was not a single human soul for miles around. There was also no road sign anywhere. A little unsure, I climbed out of the car, thanked my driver and headed towards the cliffs where I hoped I would find La Portada.
But there was absolutely nothing around. And when I turned around to go back, I saw that my Uber driver had also gotten out of the car and was heading into my direction. Me, a white woman in Chile, with all my belongings and valuables, all alone. That was the first time during my solo trips that I really feared for my life for a moment. Because I was being a little too naive again.
When I turned back again to the young man, however, I saw that he was no longer walking strictly into my direction, but had taken a slight turn and was heading for the cliffs himself. My pulse calmed down a little. Perhaps he just wanted to see the sight himself. After all, he had told me that he had never been here before. So, I quickly turned around and walked back towards the crossroads we had come from. At some point, the Uber caught up with me again and asked if he should give me a lift, but I thankfully declined. Later on, I actually did find La Portada. We had simply taken a turn too early.
So, after taking a good look at the stone, a very beautiful and fascinating attraction, I slowly made my way to town. My GPS predicted a four-hour walk to my accommodation and my inner Forest Gump was ready to take on the journey. Without the backpack and the biting heat, I’m sure I could have managed quite well. Fortunately, after about thirty minutes, a micro (bus in Chile) collected me from the roadside.
I spent the rest of the day with some snacks from the market by the sea. After all, it was perfect beach weather in Antofagasta. Later, I hiked up to my accommodation. Unfortunately, it really wasn’t a pleasant walk. My Airbnb was somewhere up in the hills of the city. Once again, I had chosen the cheapest option without really informing myself sufficiently. You don’t always learn from your mistakes.
And now I’ll give you some good advice: either you inform yourself in advance or not at all. Don’t do what I did, lying in my room in the late afternoon and googling „Antofagasta“. And then by chance, based on some information from the internet, I came to the conclusion that Antofagasta, an important port city, is one of the most dangerous cities in Chile (it should be noted that Chile is of course much safer compared to other South American countries). In particular, the area in the hills where my accommodation was located should be avoided. Although I was now able to take the appropriate precautions to return home in a whole piece, I might have enjoyed my trip more without this new knowledge.
But before the sun went down, I made my way back to the city center. I had an appointment there. Heartbreak coping strategy number two: tattoos. Tattoos in South America are a lot cheaper than in some Austrian studios. Even in Chile, where the prices are similar to ours. It was only at a later moment that my parents found out about this.
Day 2:
My second day started rather uneventfully with breakfast at my accommodation. I then made my way back into city centre. And even though Antofagasta may not be the most attractive tourist destination, the town has some really nice spots to offer.
In general, the location of the city is pretty cool. On one edge you have the sea and the coast and on the other you have sandy hills that represent the beginning of the desert. There are a couple of beautiful parks in the city centre, such as the Parque Brasil, which stretches over seven blocks, or a small Japanese garden. You can also take a lovely walk along the coast on Paseo del Mar. I also made a funny encounter there. A man approached me and then he turned out to be my Uber driver from the day before. Coincidence?
I continued on to the Ruinas de Huanchaca, where you can learn more about mining in the past in Antofagasta. On the way back, I had one of the best ice creams during my time in Chile at Helados Patagonia (Chile has really great ice cream).
At my accommodation, I then had a very nice experience, which for me personally made my trip to Antofagasta. There were other people living in the Airbnb where I was staying. It was like a kind of shared flat, where everyone had their own room and you only shared the bathroom and kitchen. Among them was a woman and her daughter who had recently moved here from Bolivia and was now working as a housekeeper in the apartment complex.
When I returned from my trip that day, I was first given a taste of a Bolivian dessert. You can always win me over with food. While I was enjoying my Buñuelos on the roof terrace, my daughter, a little girl of primary school age, joined me at some point. We started chatting, which was a bit difficult at first because my Spanish still needed some practice. So, most of the time I just let her do the talking.
She told me that they came to Chile about a year ago because they had a greater chance of a better life here. However, her 18-year-old sister and most of her family stayed back in Bolivia. But she still has so much joy for life. She was happy to live by the sea now and even showed me her small collection of shells. And she told me that she was going to be a veterinarian one day. Later, she took me into her little room that she shares with her mum and watched a few YouTube videos with me.
Day 3:
After two nights, it was already time to return „home“. Unfortunately, the return journey was not entirely without complications. Firstly, my flight was delayed by no less than four hours. The only good thing was that we were given a voucher for food and a drink at the airport. However, I didn’t know whether I would be able to catch the last bus back to Viña from Santiago that evening.
At the airport, I couldn’t find the Uber, so I had to take a taxi and luckily arrived at the terminal just in time for the last bus to leave. Back at my flat, my host parents, who I had kept up to date the whole time, were of course already asleep. However, I found a sandwich in my room that my host mum had lovingly prepared for me in case I was still hungry after this long journey.
My Conclusion
A very turbulent short trip and yet I had the feeling that I could take some things away for myself. It’s better to inform yourself in advance, but also not to lose your nerve if things don’t go according to plan. Not just the knowledge that Antofagasta is not a destination for tourists. But a tip for you: Perhaps invest a little more in your flights and visit San Pedro de Atacama or Patagonia instead of Antofagasta. Nevertheless, I was able to almost completely forget my broken heart.
However, my personal highlight of the trip was once again seeing this youthful joy of life and enthusiasm in someone, despite all the circumstances that sometimes come your way. During my time abroad, I would often have experiences that showed me that you often find the most happiness in the little things. I would also rediscover my own childlike joie de vivre. But you’ll read more about that in the next few posts. Until then,
Bussi, Baba!
Bussi Baba 
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