Cerro Dragón is one of the largest urban dunes in the world: a ridge of pale sand about four kilometres long, lying between the southern half of Iquique and the foot of the coastal cliff. It formed over thousands of years from wind-blown sand and has been protected as a nature sanctuary since 2005.
Above the dune, on the cliff edge at Alto Hospicio, is the launch site that has made Iquique famous among paraglider pilots. Steady sea breezes, thermals off the desert and a climate with almost no rain mean you can fly here on nearly any day of the year — something very few places on earth can claim.
Top things to do at Cerro Dragón
Fly tandem over the city
No experience is needed for a tandem flight: you run a few steps off the Alto Hospicio launch, strapped in front of a certified pilot, and glide out over the dune, the towers and the ocean before landing near the beach. Flight time depends on conditions. The paragliding experience on GetYourGuide includes a GoPro video.
Go sandboarding
The dune’s long, steep faces are ideal for sandboarding, and you get the Pacific as a backdrop. Go with an operator who supplies boards and knows which slopes are permitted — two sandboarding sessions can be booked online, one of them with hotel pickup and a lesson for beginners.
Watch the sunset from the top
Late afternoon is the classic time: the sand cools, the light turns gold and the city lights come on below. Climbing soft sand is harder work than it looks — allow more time than you think and carry water.
How to get to Cerro Dragón
- To the dune: the base lies along the eastern edge of the southern districts, a short taxi ride from Cavancha. Organised sandboarding sessions meet in town or collect you.
- To the launch site: Alto Hospicio is on the plateau above Iquique, 20–30 minutes by road. Paragliding operators normally arrange transport; check the meeting point on your booking.
- Viewpoints: the road that climbs to Alto Hospicio gives a wide view over the dune and the whole city.
Insider tips
- Weight limits and minimum ages apply to tandem flights; check the listing before you book.
- Fly in closed shoes and bring a windproof layer — it is cooler at launch height.
- The dune is a protected site: motor vehicles are not allowed on it, and you should take all rubbish away.
- Sand gets into everything. Put phones and cameras in a sealed bag.
Bookable experiences to pair with Cerro Dragón
GetYourGuide’s Iquique catalogue is small, so these are the real, bookable experiences that fit best around a visit to Cerro Dragón:
Tandem flight from US$67 Iquique: Paragliding Experience with GoPro Video
The thing Iquique is famous for among pilots worldwide. You launch from the edge of the coastal cliff at Alto Hospicio strapped to a certified tandem pilot, glide out over the great dune and the city’s towers, and come in to land near the beach. The listing includes a GoPro video of the flight.
- Tandem flight with a certified pilot — no experience needed
- Views of the city, the Cerro Dragón dune and the Pacific
- GoPro video of your flight included
Adventure activity from US$52 Experience Sandboarding in the Iquique Dunes
Two hours of sandboarding on the dunes above Iquique with a local instructor. It is the cheapest bookable activity in town and, at the time of writing, the one with the most reviews — every one of them five stars. Expect sand everywhere and a sunset-coloured view of the city.
- Ride down the dunes that rise behind the city
- Equipment and instruction provided
- The best-reviewed Iquique activity on GetYourGuide
Lesson from US$110 Iquique: Learn Sandboarding on Legendary Dunes Overlooking the Pacific Ocean
A sandboarding lesson pitched at complete beginners. You are collected from your hotel, driven about twenty minutes to the dune, kitted out with board, boots and helmet and coached for two hours on slopes chosen for your level. A newer listing with no reviews yet.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Board, boots and helmet included
- Slopes for all abilities, no experience required
