Tours and Activities:

A Quiet Fishermen’s Village

The District of Mejillones is located only 65 kilometers to the North of Antofagasta . There, fishing becomes the protagonist and invites visitors to meet a sea crowded with seals, petrels and pelicans.

Traditionally, the main activity in Mejillones was fishing. First, it was craft fishing, then industrial fishing. The truth is that in the last few years, the town decided to raise its standards and began building a modern port venue which will be used to let all products from Northern Chile reach the world. This industrial growth is supported by the tourist development of the region.

The beautiful viewpoints that converge there have turned Mejillones into one of the most romantic cities in Chile. Its marine architecture and quiet beaches make it an ideal area to discover each of its corners, where the past and the present coexist.

The port administration, the old Customs building, the Sacred Heart of Mary parish church and the railway station are some of the historical buildings visitors should not miss during a walk around town. All of them were built in the early XXth century and, not only do they show the market movement, but also the elegance and majesty of those buildings.

Much More than White Sand

The port administration was built to control regional trade, which at the beginning of 1900 was growing with the help of the guano, saltpeter and fishing industry as they showed the country to the world.

The old Customs building is another spot not to be missed. The building dates back from 1866. Everything coming in and going out from the Antofagasta Region in those days was recorded in documents at this venue. Today, the building houses a small Historical and Natural Museum which testifies the historical, architectural and cultural heritage and, together with the Centro Cultural Mejillones, is in charge of holding the cultural agenda of the city.

The Sacred Heart of Mary Parish Church was opened in 1908 with an innovation: it was built in Oregon pine, which was imported from Canada. Today, together with the railway station, they are the two most visited sites by the dwellers of Mejillones, who have set up an FM radio called Mejillones that broadcasts local, regional and national events.

Everything in a setting of white sands and limpid beaches visited by seals, petrels and pelicans which contribute with color to an incredibly magical and lonely site, which, as the song says, it is to “fall in love and turn into a mejillonino for ever”. At least for a while.

See also: Hotels in Antofagasta and other accommodation venues