The fastest way to travel from Colchane, (3700 meters high on the Altiplano near the Bolivian border),  to Iquique at the Pacific Ocean is to hit Route 15. But a very scenic detour via the A357 and A465 roads is well worth the extra time.

Just north of of Cariquima the hills are dotted with scores of giant Echinopsis atacamensis cacti that can easily reach a height of 10 meters.

The main sight in Cariquima is the church with separate bell tower. It used to be an important center for the Aymara people, but the town has been 'taken over' by the Evangelical Pentecostal Church of Chile. They brought electricity, housing and street names but drove out the traditional Aymara culture.

Continuing south, the A465 brings you at the foot of the sacred Cerro Cariquima, a five km high volcano. Turning west, the A465 becomes a dirt road before passing the scenic riverbed of the Quebrada Torini.
The road then winds through a surreal colorfull landscape with huge rocky outcrops specked with green Yareta plants before it connects with Route 15 to Iquique.

We took this scenic detour in July 2011 and enjoyed every minute of it.