35 Stunning Abandoned Places Around the World You Can Still Visit

33. Humberstone & Santa Laura, Chile: Nitrate Towns of the Atacama

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, these twin towns in Chile's harsh Atacama Desert were centers of nitrate (saltpeter) mining, which fueled agricultural booms globally from the 1880s until the mid-20th century. When synthetic fertilizers emerged, the industry collapsed, and the towns were abandoned. Today, preserved by the arid climate, they offer a remarkably intact glimpse into the lives of nitrate miners, with preserved homes, theaters, stores, and industrial machinery standing like ghosts under the desert sun, telling a story of industrial innovation and decline.