Atacama Region · Chile
Where to stay in Copiapó
Copiapó is a city in Atacama Region, Chile, home to about 151,000 people.
- Best months
- October to April
- Nearest airport
- CPO46 km · Desierto de Atacama Airport
- Currency
- CLPChilean peso
- Time zone
- America/Santiago
- Language
- Spanish
About
About Copiapó
The town is surrounded by the Atacama Desert and receives very little rain. Copiapó is in a rich silver and copper mining district. The Copiapó-Caldera railway line, built in 1850, was the first one in South America. The original wooden railway station is now a National Monument. Tourism in Copiapó has been developing since the early 21st century. Some come to see the desert and indigenous monuments, such as the Inca cemetery in the city, which was investigated in the 1930s.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Copiapó
See
- Mineralogical Museum
- Wooden railway station
- Plaza de Armas
- Universidad de Atacama
- Alameda Manuel Antonio Matta
- Cerro La Cruz
- Casona de los Matta
- Copiapó Municipal Cemetery
- Desierto Florido
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Copiapó
9 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Antay Casino Hotel | 2.5 km | |
| Hotel Atacama Suites | 0.5 km | |
| Hotel Chagall | 0.2 km | |
| Hotel Cumbres de Atacama | 0.6 km | |
| Hotel El Bramador | 9.3 km | |
| Hotel Pulmahue | 0.5 km | |
| Hotel San Francisco de la Selva | 0.2 km | |
| Ibis Budget Copiapo | 0.2 km | |
| Ibis Copiapo | 0.2 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Copiapó
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Copiapó are October to April. January is the warmest month, with average highs of 23 °C; July is the wettest, with about 11 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 Copiapó: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Desierto de Atacama Airport (CPO), about 46 km from the city centre in a straight line; Ricardo García Posada Airport (ESR, 130 km) is also within reach.
Getting in
Copiapó is about 65 km east of the coastal town of Caldera, and 800 km north of Santiago. Buses pull in from the north (Antofagasta, Iquique, Arica) and south (La Serena, Santiago) at the terminals south of the city centre. Tur-bus has their terminal on Calle Chañarcillo and Pullman has theirs on Colipi.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
CPO · Desierto de Atacama Airport
ESR · Ricardo García Posada Airport
Questions
Copiapó: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Copiapó?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Copiapó are October to April. January is the warmest month, with average highs of 23 °C; July is the wettest, with about 11 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Copiapó?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Desierto de Atacama Airport (CPO), about 46 km from the city centre in a straight line; Ricardo García Posada Airport (ESR, 130 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Copiapó?
Chilean peso (CLP).
Nearby
Destinations near Copiapó
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.