Natural Monumento Natural La Portada
La Portada is a natural arch on the coast of Chile, 18 kilometers north of Antofagasta. It is one of fifteen natural monuments protected by the Chilean state. In Spanish, “La Portada” means “The Gateway.”
Video: La Portada
General Information
La Portada Rock is essentially an ancient fossilized rock. It has the natural shape of a giant arch that reaches 43 meters high, 70 meters long and 23 meters wide. Around its base, which is composed of andesite (it is a stone with a characteristic black color), you can clearly see multi-layered deposits – marine sediments, yellow sandstone, fossilized shells of varied and, often, surprising shapes.
.La Portada and its surrounding natural complex with fifty-meter coastal cliffs, which are constantly crashing waves, raising to the sky foamy spray, occupy a considerable territory – more than 30 hectares. Both the arch itself and the cliffs surrounding it appeared as a result of the process of sea erosion. The beauty of this section of the Chilean coast, which nature has been creating for tens of millions of years, is truly unique. Scientists estimate that the fossils in the upper layers of the monument are about 2 million years old, and up to 35 million years old in the lower layers.
.Animal life
The Arch of La Portada is not only beautiful, it is also rich in animal life. Visiting the Prird monument, tourists have always had the rare opportunity to observe the natural life of interesting birds – pelicans and Peruvian oloos, Guanaian cormorants and Inca terns, algal, mottled and gray gulls. Mammals such as South American harbor seals and, a favorite of many, dolphins, are also permanent residents. People take great pleasure in seeing these marine animals. Often dolphins “arrange” a whole show, jumping out of the water alone and in groups, making peculiar sounds and giving a lot of positive emotions to those who watch them.
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For modern people, especially residents of big cities, accustomed to see the beauty of wildlife on TV, and rare birds and animals, at best, in the zoo or in the Red Book, such an excursion would be unforgettable.
.How to get there
You can drive here via the Antofagasta-Tocopilla highway, at the 20th kilometer of which there is a turnoff to the monument. The monument is located near the Cerro Moreno International Airport and La Chimba National Reserve.
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