Once one of the grandiose mansions of the nitrate barons, this elegant building on Plaza Prat, Iquique's main square has been converted to a bar and restaurant La Protectora. Situated on the coast at the foot of the 800-metre coastal cordillera, Iquique is the capital of Region 1. During the nitrate boom in the 19th century Iquique became Chile's richest city.