Calama: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Calama is a city of 166,334 people in Chile (Antofagasta), 2,275 m (7,464 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is El Loa Airport (CJC), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Calama runs from about 10 h 48 min a day in late June to 13 h 33 min in late December (computed for -22.46° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Calama is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is El Loa Airport (CJC), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 9,974 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to Calama: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Calama · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Antofagasta, 201 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Iquique, 280 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Alto Hospicio, 272 km — buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: La Paz, Palpalá, Salta, Ibarra, San Salvador de Jujuy, Potosí, Córdoba.
Common questions
Which airport serves Calama?
El Loa Airport (CJC), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre.
How big is Calama?
About 166,334 people live in Calama, across 34 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Calama in?
America/Santiago, currently UTC-3.
What currency is used in Calama?
The Peso (CLP). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Calama?
Antofagasta (201 km), Iquique (280 km), Alto Hospicio (272 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.