THE OLDEST BAKERY IN IQUIQUE

By Claudia Castro E.



It’s around five o’clock in the afternoon and from Juan Martinez Street, the smell of home-made bread comes out and it is such a sweet smell you can almost taste it in your mouth. It comes from the bakery called Olimpia, one of the oldest bakeries in Iquique. The difference with other bakeries nowadays is that Olimpia bakery does not sell drinks, milk or candies, rather just home made bread.

The place where this bakery is located is huge but only half of the place is occupied. The bakery only has two or three baskets where they put the bread. There is one big, old-style bar next to the wall and it measures more than one meter long, at the end of this only piece of furniture is the cash register. On the wall there is an old picture that is a representation of the work they have done for years.

The bakery was founded in the beginning of the 20th century by Hernán Cortez’s father, who now is the owner and he has maintained the family tradition.

The bakery has remained the same since it was founded, people from all over Iquique come to this bakery to buy home-made bread and take it right to their houses to have a nice cup of tea with the bread.

The bakery is open from seven to eleven thirty in the morning and in the afternoon it opens from five to eight o’clock.