EDIFICIO DE ADUANA

Built in 1871, it is a two-storey building, consisting of an interior patio bordered by corridors. On the terrace stands an octagonal watchtower. Note the walls on the ground floor, which are almost a metre thick. This building was used as a prison for the survivors of the naval battle of Iquique. In 1891, it was the scene of the fighting between Balmacédista forces and congressional insurgents. In the port, a buoy located 10 minutes by boat from the Prat wharf indicates the exact location of the battle and where the corvette Esmeralda now lies underwater.