Antofagasta Mountainside Messages – Antofagasta, Chile - Atlas Obscura

Antofagasta Mountainside Messages

Instead of using billboards, some people here relay their messages on the side of a mountain. 

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In Antofagasta, Chile, you can advertise a message the traditional way by using a billboard, or, you can take advantage of the landscape and scrawl your words on the side of the mountain.

The Antofagasta mountainside messages are a medley of inscriptions. Some are religious, the words of people using the giant texts to express their devotion. Others are much more practical, such as a massive phone number with the word for “taxi” scrawled beneath it. A man also even expressed his love by writing a message to his beloved on the mountain. 

In 1987, what may be the largest message was erected. It was a drawing of the pope, created to celebrate his visit to the city. The artwork is still there, though it has faded.

These texts are a staple of the city. Because old ones fade and new ones are frequently added, the assortment of messages to read is always changing.   

Know Before You Go

You can see the texts from all over town as long as nothing blocks the view of the mountains.

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