Huasco

The Huasco river cuts a green line across the Atacama to the sea, and the valley behind the port grows olives and table grapes and produces pisco - it is the northernmost of the valleys where that is possible, and the olive oil from here has a protected designation. The port at the mouth ships iron ore and there are thermal power plants on the coast beside it, which has made air quality and coastal contamination a long-running local issue and a subject of litigation. The beaches north of the town and the Llanos de Challe flowering desert are the other reason to come this way.

Background

Huasco lies 50 km west of Vallenar, near Huasco Bajo on the south bank of the Huasco River, a few kilometres from its mouth. The port and settlement are centuries old, but the town was officially established in 1850. Copper ore and copper regulus, along with hides and alpaca wool, left here for Swansea round Cape Horn between 1851 and 1873. A large new pier opened in 1886, followed in 1892 by a railroad inland to Vallenar. Two ports work here today, the general port Las Losas and the mining ports Guacolda I and II, and as of 2024 they handled 7.5% of the yearly tonnage in Chile's foreign trade. The town takes its name from the river.

Source: Wikipedia, "Huasco"

What to look for

• A green valley across the desert - olives, grapes and pisco.
• Protected designation olive oil - the valley's best known product.
• An iron ore port and power plants - beside the town.
• A live contamination dispute - over air and coastal pollution.

When to go

Year round; September and October if the desert is flowering. Half a day.

Good to know

The industrial presence is unavoidable and is the town's central problem. Beaches near the port are affected. Services are modest. The valley behind is the pleasanter part of a visit.

Nearby

Llanos de Challe is north up the coast; Vallenar is inland.

Key facts