Bahía Inglesa Beach

Bahía Inglesa is a small resort village in the north of Chile with the Atacama desert to one side and the Pacific Ocean the other. There are a number of beaches in the immediate area but it is the stretch of beach directly in front of the village that is best known - and allegedly one of the most photographed in Chile. 

Known as Playa La Piscina (swimming pool beach) this little beach has beautiful white sand punctuated by numerous rock formations that give the beach a kind of enclosed feel. The water is a beautiful clear turquoise colour which contrasts with the sand. Whilst it is generally quite calm, the sea here is also renown for being on something of the chilly(!) side.

During the summer months the little seaside resort becomes somewhat lively and the beach, being the main attraction, is always busy. This is also the time of year when there are likely to be quite a few jellyfish so possibly not the best time to visit. Given that it becomes something of a ghost town in the winter it is probably best to plan a visit in the shoulder season.

The name, Bahía Inglesa translates as “English Bay” and this is a reference to the 17th century bucaneer Edward Davis who harried Spanish shipping in this area.