Antofagasta Region · Chile
Where to stay in Calama
Calama is a city in Antofagasta Region, Chile, home to about 158,000 people.
- Best months
- February and December
- Nearest airport
- CJC5 km · El Loa Airport
- Currency
- CLPChilean peso
- Time zone
- America/Santiago
- Language
- Spanish
Things to do
What to see and do in Calama
See
- St. John the Baptist Cathedral
- Chuquicamata Mine
- Memorial for '73 Disappeared
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Calama
13 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| 914 Hotel | 1.3 km | |
| Atankalama | 1.8 km | |
| Ayelen Apart Hotel | 0.4 km | |
| Ayelen Express | 0.5 km | |
| Geotel Calama | 0.5 km | |
| Hotel Agua del Desierto | 1.7 km | |
| Hotel Diego de Almagro Alto el Loa Calama | 0.7 km | |
| Hotel Diego De Almagro Calama | 0.4 km | |
| Hotel Modular Express Calama | 0.4 km | |
| Ibis Budget Calama | 0.7 km | |
| Juku Hostal | 2.7 km | |
| Noi Borde Loa | 2.4 km | |
| Park Hotel Calama | 3.2 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Calama
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Calama are February and December. December is the warmest month, with average highs of 18 °C; January is the wettest, with about 12 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Calama: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is El Loa Airport (CJC), about 4.7 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting around
Calama is not large and most of the city centre can be covered on foot. Collectivos (shared taxis) run fixed routes and cost 700 pesos, while buses, named with letters of the alphabet, cost about 300 pesos. Renting a truck here or in Antofagasta is a great idea if you are 3-5 people and want to explore the region on your own. This will save you a lot of money on expensive tours in San Pedro de Atacama, and rental cars are much cheaper here and even more so in Antofagasta. Due to the rough terrain, it is strongly recommended to get a 4WD or truck.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
CJC · El Loa Airport
Questions
Calama: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Calama?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Calama are February and December. December is the warmest month, with average highs of 18 °C; January is the wettest, with about 12 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Calama?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is El Loa Airport (CJC), about 4.7 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Calama?
Chilean peso (CLP).
Nearby
Destinations near Calama
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.