My motorcycle trip this time was from Arica, Chile’s northernmost regional capital, to Iquique.
The distance was approximately 310 km.
I’m leaving Arica.
Unfortunately, the sky is cloudy.
In winter, it’s usually cloudy in Arica until around noon.
There is a huge traffic jam around ARGO Market.
I left Arica in about 15 minutes.
I repeatedly go up and down the mountain
About an hour after I left, the sky finally cleared.
My luggage was checked in Cuya.
Here I was asked, “Are you carrying any fruit?”
I guess they’re checking here because some people are heading south from Tacna, Peru, without going through Arica.
I passed through without any problems.
I left Arica and entered the state of Tarapacá about an hour and a half later.
The quality of the roads clearly changed here.
I’ll drive up and down the road again
Iquique continues straight, but Google Navigation says I should take the road to the left.
I’m heading towards Oficina Baquedano
And then I ended up rejoining the same road.
I was fooled by Google.
Well, this happens all the time.
If I turn right here, it’s a straight line
This is the toll booth.
The motorcycle fare is $650, or about $0.68.
Again, Google Navigation tries to direct me to Alto Hospicio, but this time I ignore it.
Iquique is on the left, so I follow the road.
The city of Iquique comes into view.
I head down a fairly steep slope.
I’ve arrived in the city of Iquique.
I’m heading straight for the sea.
I left Arica and arrived at the beach in Iquique about four hours later.
What impressed me most about this trip was the surprisingly large number of ups and downs.
In particular, I felt that my descent into Iquique would have been more enjoyable if there had been fewer cars and I hadn’t been carrying too much luggage.
It felt similar to descending from El Alto in Bolivia to La Paz.
In the future, I’ll need to check my route in advance to avoid being fooled by Google Navigation.
Date of ride: August 22, 2025
