Playa La Virgen
A white cove on the Atacama coast at the end of a long gravel road, with warmer water than the rest of Chile.
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Playa La Virgen is one of a run of coves on the coast south of Caldera where the sand is white, the rock is dark and the water reads turquoise - and where, because the Humboldt current is a little less brutal at this latitude and the bays are sheltered, the sea is warm enough to swim in without a wetsuit, which is not true of most of the Chilean coast. There is a campsite and cabins and essentially nothing else: no shop, no village, no signal in places. The road in is a long stretch of gravel, which is what keeps the numbers down outside the summer weeks.
What you actually see
- A white sand cove - among a run of them on this coast.
- Water warm enough to swim - unusual for Chile.
- A campsite and cabins - and nothing else at all.
- A long gravel road in - the reason it stays quiet off season.
When to go
Year round; January and February are busy. A full day, or camping.
Honest expectations
Everything must be brought - there is no shop and no fuel nearby. The road is rough and slow. In January and February the campsite fills and books ahead. There is no shade on the beach.
Nearby
Bahia Inglesa and Caldera are north; Copiapo is inland.
What to pack for Playa La Virgen
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
