La Portada
La Portada is a natural rock arch on Chile’s Pacific coast near Antofagasta. The coastal landmark is protected as a national monument.
Coastal erosion: The wearing away of shorelines by waves, currents, tides, and related processes. Wave action helped carve the cliffs and arch at La Portada.
Antofagasta: A port city and regional capital in northern Chile, on the Pacific coast. La Portada lies north of the city along the same coastline.
Natural Monument: A protected area designation for a notable natural feature or formation. Chile’s Natural Monument status protects La Portada and its surroundings.
La Portada Natural Monument: A protected natural area centered on the La Portada rock arch near Antofagasta, Chile. The monument designation encompasses the arch and its coastal surroundings.
Wave-cut platform: A flat rock surface formed at the base of a cliff by wave erosion. This coastal landform develops alongside the sea cliffs around the arch.
Atacama Desert: A hyperarid desert region along the Pacific coast of northern Chile and southern Peru. The arch stands on the desert’s Pacific margin.
Protected area: A geographically defined area managed to conserve nature and cultural values. La Portada’s conservation depends on rules for its protected coastal area.
Mejillones Peninsula: A peninsula on northern Chile’s Pacific coast, north of Antofagasta. Its coastal geology provides a nearby regional comparison to La Portada.
Sea cave: A cavity in a coastal cliff enlarged by wave erosion. Erosion can enlarge weaknesses in the cliffs before a rock arch forms.
Pacific Ocean: The largest ocean on Earth, extending between Asia, Australia, the Americas, and Antarctica. Its waves continuously act on the cliffs surrounding La Portada.