Pica: Thermal Baths, Starry Skies and History

Pica brings together historic buildings, a thermal bath, traditional festivities and stargazing opportunities. The Salar del Huasco National Park and the Valley of the Dinosaurs offer further highlights. To plan your trip, you can start by deciding which of these themes you want to focus on. For festival schedules, astrotourism and access information, it is worth checking the latest details before your visit.

Church and History in Pica

The Iglesia de San Andrés stands opposite Pica’s Plaza de Armas and is considered the city’s most important urban, heritage and architectural landmark. Construction of this monumental building began around 1880 and was completed in 1888. Inside, the church preserves historic religious depictions, including a life-size representation of the Last Supper and the Holy Sepulchre. Its location, construction history and furnishings offer different insights into the significance of the church building.

Another historic building is the Ex Casa del Socorro, also known as Pica’s former hospital. It stands in the central part of the city and bears witness to the oasis’s social development and political change. Together with the Iglesia de San Andrés, it is one of Pica’s named historic sites, each connected to the area’s history in its own way.

Thermal Baths and Starry Skies

Cocha Resbaladero is a thermal bath set between two natural cavities in volcanic rock. The water temperature ranges from 27 to 30 °C. The Municipality of Pica manages the site, which has full facilities and tourist services. As operating details may change, check the latest information before your visit. Cocha Resbaladero can be reached via Avenida General Ibáñez, heading southwest. Check local road conditions and access information.

The sky also shapes Pica’s travel appeal. In 2022, San Andrés de Pica became the world’s fourth Pueblo Starlight and the first in Chile and South America. Astrotourism offerings include guided skywatching, night photography and stories about Andean astronomy. This gives visitors several ways to experience the night sky: observe it, photograph it or learn more about Andean interpretations of the heavens. The availability of individual providers may vary; check in advance which tours are offered.

Festive Traditions and Regional Cuisine

Every year on November 28, the Destape de la Chicha in Pica opens the festivities in honor of Saint Andrew. Participants share glasses of chicha with neighbors and visitors. If you are planning your trip around the festival, check the program for that year: the recurring date is November 28, but the annual festivities may vary.

Highlands and Dinosaur Figures

Outside the town, 55 kilometers east of Pica, lies Salar del Huasco National Park in the highlands of the municipality. The national park is designated both a Ramsar site and a nature sanctuary. It provides refuge and nesting grounds for numerous Andean bird species, including Chilean, Andean and James’s flamingos. This highland destination is therefore quite different from the historic sites in the urban area.

At the entrance to Pica, the Valley of the Dinosaurs features six life-size dinosaur species. Signs for each figure provide information about the scientific name, height, weight, diet and location where the bones were found. The life-size figures are thus accompanied by factual information about each species.

The Iglesia de San Andrés stands opposite the Plaza de Armas, the Ex Casa del Socorro is in the central part of the city, and Salar del Huasco is outside the town. This makes it possible to plan different trip highlights, combining culture in town with an excursion into the highland landscape.

Discover more destinations: Colchane, Pozo Almonte, La Tirana, Huara

For the broader travel overview: Tamarugal.