Antofagasta to Copiapó Road Trip: Stops Along the Way

By admin, 13 October, 2026

By road, Antofagasta and Copiapó are about 334 miles (537 km) apart, or roughly 7 h 32 min of driving.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Chile — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution

Full advisory: Chile. Advisory issued: Chile August 19, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.

On the roads, the State Department says:

  • Chile: “Driving in Chile is relatively safe.”
Reserva Natural de PaposoJunquillar SpringTeatro Alhambra de TaltalPan de Azúcar National ParkFaro Monumental de ChañaralCasa Museo TorniniAntofagastaCopiapó
Route from Antofagasta to Copiapó with the 6 stops listed below (blue dots).
Total distance334 mi (537 km)
Drive time without stops7 h 32 min
Main roads, in orderB-700 → B-710
Regions on the routeAntofagasta, Atacama
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 13.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below6

The Antofagasta–Copiapó drive in a few lines

B-710 (69 mi) and B-700 (8 mi) carry about 23% of the 334 miles. It runs through 2 regions: Antofagasta, Atacama. Of the 6 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.

Which roads connect Antofagasta and Copiapó

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miRegion
local roads0–3232Antofagasta
B-70032–408Antofagasta
B-71040–10969Antofagasta
local roads109–334225Antofagasta, Atacama
  • Mile 176 of this route: Antofagasta → Atacama (region line)

Places worth a stop between Antofagasta and Copiapó

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Reserva Natural de Paposo (mile 109), Teatro Alhambra de Taltal (mile 140), Faro Monumental de Chañaral (mile 231), Casa Museo Tornini (mile 287)
  • Nature and outdoors: Reserva Natural de Paposo (mile 109), Junquillar Spring (mile 111), Pan de Azúcar National Park (mile 205)
  • Museums and history: Teatro Alhambra de Taltal (mile 140), Faro Monumental de Chañaral (mile 231), Casa Museo Tornini (mile 287)

Reserva Natural de Paposo

Mile 109 · Nature area · 0.7 mi from the route

Paposo National Reserve is a state-protected area in the Antofagasta Region, 65 km north of the village of Paposo, with plant life set in the arid environment typical of northern Chile.

Junquillar Spring

Mile 111 · Spring · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Agua de Junquillar is a natural spring where water rises to the surface in Chile's Antofagasta Region.

Teatro Alhambra de Taltal

Mile 140 · National monument · 0.8 mi from the route

In Taltal, the Teatro Alhambra stands directly across from Plaza Arturo Prat, so you'll find it facing the town's square.

Pan de Azúcar National Park

Mile 205 · National park · 12 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Straddling the line between the Antofagasta and Atacama regions, Pan de Azúcar is one of Chile's national parks.

Faro Monumental de Chañaral

Mile 231 · Lighthouse · 0.4 mi from the route

Also called the Millennium Lighthouse, Faro Monumental de Chañaral was built in Chañaral in 2000 to mark the turn of the millennium.

Casa Museo Tornini

Mile 287 · Archaeological museum · 1 mi from the route

Exhibits at Casa Museo Tornini in Caldera, Atacama, cover the port's history, the Constituent Revolution, the War of the Pacific and Italian immigration in the late 19th century.

Arriving in Copiapó

Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, Copiapó

Cathedral · in Copiapó

Copiapó Cathedral, the Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, is the largest church in the city, standing on the west side of Plaza Prat at Chacabuco and O'Higgins streets.

Museo Regional de Atacama

Museum · in Copiapó

Museo Regional de Atacama is a museum in Copiapó, the capital of Chile's Atacama Region.

Museo Mineralógico de la Universidad de Atacama

Museum · in Copiapó

Run by the University of Atacama, the Museo Mineralógico is a mineralogy museum known nationally and internationally for the quality of its specimens.

More drives to Copiapó

From Antofagasta to other places in Chile

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to drive from Antofagasta to Copiapó?

About 7 h 32 min of driving without stops, over 334 miles.

How far is Copiapó from Antofagasta by car?

About 334 miles (537 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.

What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Antofagasta to Copiapó drive?

The U.S. State Department rates Chile Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Antofagasta to Copiapó use?

In order: B-700 and B-710. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.

What are good stops between Antofagasta and Copiapó?

Closest to the road: Reserva Natural de Paposo (nature area, mile 109, 0.7 mi from the route); Teatro Alhambra de Taltal (national monument, mile 140, 0.8 mi from the route); Faro Monumental de Chañaral (lighthouse, mile 231, 0.4 mi from the route). All stops are described above.

How we put this guide together

Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.

Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.