sburton

Thanks for the quick response, yes I am aware it was some 75 km from the city of Antofagasta, earthquakes notwithstanding......how is it there?

Cheers,

Steve

dakota44

Don't know that area well. Spend my time in La Serena which is about 200 kilometers south. I love Chile. Wonderful people, relatively stable, honest police. I think you will find it quite pleasing.

matttheboy

I`m in San Pedro de Atacama at the moment-not too much damage here, a couple of walls fallen down. Tocopillo got the worst of it, antofagasta didn´t suffer too much damage, more shock than anything according to the relatives we have up there.

I´ve never been to antofagasta but i´ve also never heard a positve thing about the place and so never had the desire to go. boring, dangerous, ugly and in the middle of nowhere-it is a mining city after all. if you have the chance to find work in another city-preferably further south-then chile´s a great place...!

sburton

Thanks for the perspective. Dangerous how? Crime?

Cheers

dakota44

Yes, that area would have more crime due to a higher concentration of poverty. Any city in Chile has crime however. It is a matter of common sense that you can not always do what you do at home. Night can be dangerous. It is safer than Peru, however. I have spent much time in both places and love them both. But you need to always be aware. I do agree that another city in Chile might be more to your liking.

sburton

Thanks.....I have travelled quite extensively and am aware that certain precautions have to be taken, however if the crime is unmanageble even with precautions then it is not a place I will go.....also I take the point regarding living somewhere in the south however due to the nature of the opportunity this may no be possible. Scariest place Detroit downtown at night!! I suppose in that region Antofagasta is it? If you know of anyone who lives there and would be willing to offer additional info I'd appreciate it.

Thnx

dakota44

Don't know anyone there, so can;t help on that. It is a mining town, as mentioned, and a bit rough. Look into La Serena. It is 200 kilometers south of there. There may be opportunities there. What kind of work is it you have a possibility of in Chile?

sburton

Could be in the power industry - so some travel further NE even. La Serena does look great but on a map looks more like 200-300 miles from Antofagasta...oh well its early days and these positions are never complete without a visit to the proposed area....

Thanks for your many responses

sburton

San Pedro de Atacama looks nice....is there enough amenities to live there? Looks mostly geared towards tourism....what doe a house rental normally cost in that area?

Thanks,

dakota44

It is not that far from Antofagasta. Look at Lima on the map and then la Serena. that is about 500 miles as the crow flies. A visit is a great idea. Nothing worse than moving there and going... what the **** did I do?

dakota44

You can rent a house in La Serena for between 200 and 400 dollars a month. That is probably typical.

matttheboy

san pedro is a dusty little town in the middle of nowhere-it's beautiful and there's tons of trips to do outside of the town but unless you really like living without a great deal of daily things to do or places in which to shop then it's not really suited to year round living. there's a post about the place on my blog (click on my username and then on my homepage).

tate6

Hello all!! I'm new here and wondering if anyone has info on either of these cities-
Panguipulli or Lautaro. I am from the US and my hubby works for a company that has plants in those two cities. Heard that the first is beautiful. When he gets promoted soon, we will have to make a move to a different plant and those two are options. Need more info before we add them to our list of possibilities. Any info would be greatly appreciated!!

jfcliche

Hello sburton,

Did you find any more information on living (as opposed to visiting) in San Pedro de Atacama?

I plan to move there with my family to work on one of the telescopes there, and I'm also looking for advice on wether this is a slightly crazy or a very crazy idea. Finding a place to live is not easy, it seems.

Thanks,

JF

sburton

Just got back from Antofagasta, Meijones and Tocopilla areas....so there are ok areas to live there, little bit desolate outside the town but nice coast line and they are definitely upgrading the town with new mall and a resort casino coming in the fall. I didn't get a chance to get to San Pedro but I hear it is great and I will go there when I return.....The people were very nice and you definitely need Spanish...I will be in immersion training before I go. All in all it would appear to be a good thing to do! Although relocating anywhere is a headache for the first 6 months..I am currently working in Abu Dhabi and have been for the last 3 1/2 years....

Good luck and all the best

S.