Chacabuco, Former saltpeter town in Sierra Gorda, Chile.
Chacabuco is an abandoned mining town in the Atacama Desert that was built to support saltpeter extraction. The site still shows administrative buildings, worker homes, factories, and storage facilities scattered across the expansive grounds.
The town was established in 1924 by the Lautaro Nitrate Company to expand saltpeter production. As synthetic nitrate production grew in the 1930s, natural saltpeter mining lost economic value and the settlement was abandoned.
The ruins show how nitrate workers and their families lived during the early 20th century. Walking through the site reveals the residential quarters, workplaces, and public spaces that shaped daily life in this industrial community.
The site is located in a remote desert area and requires a vehicle to reach it. Visitors should be aware that landmines remain in the surrounding terrain and access is limited to certain safe areas of the ruins.
After the town was abandoned, the site was converted into a prison for political detainees in the early 1970s. Thousands of people were held there during a period of political upheaval.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
