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The Ruins of the Huanchaca Metal Foundry, better known as the Huanchaca Ruins (Quechua: bridge of sorrows), is the vestige of an old silver foundry, located in Antofagasta, Chile.



What remains today is simply part of what was the smelting of silver and corresponds to thick walls of reddish andesite stone.



In the year it was built, it was the most modern refiner in South America. It had its own power plant to supply the tasks and the maestranza. The neighborhood's lighting was provided by a gas factory, also owned by the company.



Nowadays, the ruins have four differentiable sectors: the large central mass corresponds to what were the company's offices and warehouses, the block located on Avenida Argentina that corresponds to a refining furnace, the stairs located in front of the furnace and the Stone House (currently the Nuestra Señora del Carmen Military Chapel).



They are located in the northern access of the Coviefi population, in front of Avenida Argentina.



The monument can be accessed by the following TransAntofagasta minibus lines: 109, 110, 111, 112 and 114.



The monument can also be accessed through an unpaved path, located next to the Antofagasta Campus of the Universidad Católica del Norte.







Antofagasta is 1,361 km away. north of Santiago de Chile, 205 km. from Calama and 564 from Copiapó. You can get:



By plane

There are daily frequencies from the national airport of Santiago de Chile. You can check the departure times.



By car

To get to Antofagasta from any point located to the south, you must travel along Route 5 north. From Copiapó it is 564 km. and from La Serena 898 km.



If you are traveling from the north, you must travel on Route 5 south. From Calama it is 205 km. and from Iquique 493 km.



By bus

There are daily frequencies from nearby cities. There are buses that leave from Santiago de Chile. Check with the respective Road Terminals.









It was declared on January 7, 1974 as a National Historic Monument, according to Supreme Decree No. 0009 of the Council of National Monuments of Chile.

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