Region of Atacama, Chile: City Diego de Almagro

Diego de Almagro: p.1 │ p.2│ p.3 │ FFCC

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Diego de Almagro is a small town in the northern part of the Atacama region. The village is a good starting point to drive into the high cordilleras or to the Pedernales salt lake

Diego de Almagro is located in the valley of the river "El Salado". The small town of 7,000 inhabitants is the centre of small and medium-sized mining. Today it stands out for the contrast between a modern architecture and the architecture of 1900. The "Pueblo Hundido" (like sunken village), as Diego de Almagro used to be called, was part of the great infrastructural systems of the country. As a terminal point of the longitudinal railway La Calera - Pueblo Hundido from 1912 to 1922 (see) and later as a stage of the Pan-American Highway.

In the 1970s passenger trains were eliminated, the Pan-American highway was diverted to Chañaral and Diego de Almagro had to face serious environmental problems (here). With this panorama of the past Diego de Almagro achieved a great leap forward in the nineties until today. The downtown area, the old railway station (here) are unique examples of a mining village in the desert.

Information from Diego de Almagro:
• Population: 7,000 inhabitants (approx.)
• altitude: 810 m
• Distance to Santiago: 952 km
• Distance to Copiapó: 147 km
• UTM: E396.598 / N70.81.036
• Restaurants, accommodation, shops, petrol, gasoline

Routes and places near Diego de Almagro:
Finca Chañaral
Poute camino a Pedernales - Maricunga
Route Copiapó - Diego
Route to Altamira