Calama is a city in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. At an elevation of 7,900 feet, Calama is the gateway to the geological and archaeological wonders of Chile’s high central desert. Some of these places of interest include: the town of Chuquicamata, the village of San Pedro de Atacama, Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon), the Licancabur volcano, Archaeological Museum Padre Le Paige , the Flamingo National Reservation , the Aguas Calientes salt flat , the Tuyajto lagoon , the Tatio Geysers , the village of Chiu-Chiu .

In 2003 the town of Chuquicamata, by one of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world, was dismantled, partly because of environmental reasons, and partly due to encroachment from the mine's expansion. Residents of Chuquicamata then moved to Calama, away from company-owned residences, to find housing on their own.