Iquique, Chile
“Why do you want to go to that ghost town so bad?” – Jack looks at me in a way that he does whenever I suggest things he finds absurd. Like going out of our way to see abandoned buildings and machineries. Like going out of our way just to end up in a town and got our stuff stolen (but that’s for another story).
He doesn’t get ghost towns the way I don’t get birdwatching. Or eyebrow waxing.
But ghost towns, along with cemeteries and weird museums, do fascinate me. My ideal ghost town would be the one depicted in Michael Chricton’s book: Andromeda Strain – where the town was left just as if the citizens all of sudden decided to walk out one day (well – in the book they die) leaving half eaten food on the table and children’s toys on the floor.
But Humberstone was not anything like that. The reason it was abandoned was something less sinister than a deadly extra terrestrial virus.
For awhile it was a prosperous town of 3500 that thrived on nitrate mining for fertilizer. These people had a town complete with a hospital, a public swimming pool, and even a theatre.
Then someday, someone came up with a way to make fertilizer through synthetic means: it’s cheaper to produce. Natural nitrate could not compete and the town slowly fell into decay. In 1960 Humberstone with its sister nitrate mining town, Santa Laura, were completely abandoned.
Stories about how ghost towns come to exist always make me a little sad. I can’t imagine having to have to leave my home town against my will, either due to economic force or others. The idea of being pushed out and not drawn to anywhere else. Where did these people end up?
Similar post around the web:
This ghost town in Ukraine is super fascinating.
Have you been to a ghost town?
How to visit Humberstone: Get yourself to Iquique (watchout for bag snatchers there). There are two companies that offer transports to Humberstone, they’re both located on Calle Barros Arrana in front of the market. The earliest leaves at 7 am. (1500 – 1900 pesos)
How to get back to Iquique: In theory, you can catch any bus going in the other direction. BUT if you leave in the morning, there’s only one bus an hour that goes back to Iquique. I ended up hitchhiking back.
Cost: 2000 soles
Tip: Get there preferably before 10 am since that’s when the souvenir sellers come. There was nothing like being the only being walking around a ghost town.
[…] http://jackandjilltravel.com/humberstone-a-ghost-town-in-chilean-desert/ […]
[…] Not into surfing? Take a day trip from Iquique to Salitrera Humberstone: one of the most famous, and largest, nitrate mines in northern Chile; now a ghost town (more details — and beautiful photos — here!). […]
[…] 6. Humberstone […]
[…] View from the balcony terrace at Backpacker’s Hostel.Sunset from the Backpacker’s Hostel terrace.The next day we walked the town. The main street, which is pedestrianized, has a wooden boardwalk all along it. The houses along the main road had a slight wild west feel to them. The main square was very well-kept, and the fountains were even running. Downtown Iquique on Sunday.Plaza Arturo PratNot into surfing? Take a day trip from Iquique to Salitrera Humberstone: one of the most famous, and largest, nitrate mines in northern Chile; now a ghost town (more details — and beautiful photos — here!). […]
I love ghost towns, but it is rare to fine one that became a "ghost" as recently as the 1960s. A very interesting concept. So far I've visited Silver City Idaho, Placerville Idaho, Virginia City Nevada. Thank you for the beautiful photos!
The only ghost town I've ever been was Bodie in Cali. This place looks just as cool though.
I definitely think that's cool, I would totally want to go to a ghost town, should the opportunity arise!
So cool! I would totally go out of my way to go there. And, yeah, eyebrow waxing. What's with that? 🙂
I really like the pictures in black and white. It makes the place look eerier.
Really looks like a cool place!
So cool huh?! This was one of my favorite off the beaten path places I visited while living in Iquique. Glad you guys made a stop there!
Awesome photos! Ah, I love ghost towns so much, and this looks like a really cool one! (And thanks for linking to my article too!)
Goose bumps all over my body…You enjoyed the trip to Humberstone? I think i would feel like in a horror movie:-) But the pictures are pretty cool, very real. Thank you!
Your photos do a fantastic job of conveying what this place feels like. Sad, desolate… but still beautiful. Black and white was a great choice!
Great photos!