From Taltal, Chile to Copiapó

My motorcycle trip this time was from Taltal in northwestern Chile to Copiapó, the capital of the Atacama region.

The distance was approximately 320 km.

I’m leaving Taltal

I quickly left the city

Google tells me to keep going straight, but I choose to turn left.

Google keeps telling me to go back, so I’m going to make a U-turn.

And I’m heading towards the airport

I was fooled by Google again.

This road doesn’t connect to the national highway.

I walked along the sandy road for 200m and found a gap in the guardrail, so I returned to the national highway from here.

I’ll go straight south from there

I left Taltal and entered the Atacama region from Antofagasta about an hour later.

There is a magnificent view

I’ve arrived at Chañaral, so I’ll refuel here.

The view of the sea is pleasant

After that, I continue on through the same old scenery again.

This is the toll booth just before Copiapo.

The motorbike costs $450, or about USD 0.47.

I left Taltal and arrived in Copiapó about 3 hours and 30 minutes later.

I’m heading straight for the central area.

This is the central area of ​​Copiapó.

It’s quite prosperous.

I arrived at the Plaza de Armas

My trip this time consisted of a lot of boring, monotonous roads.

This section had many straight roads, so a more powerful motorcycle might have made the journey smoother.

Date: September 3, 2025