Antofagasta Mountainside Messages

In Antofagasta, Chile, you can advertise a message the traditional way by using a billboard, or, you can take advantage of the landscape and scrawl your words on the side of the mountain.

The Antofagasta mountainside messages are a medley of inscriptions. Some are religious, the words of people using the giant texts to express their devotion. Others are much more practical, such as a massive phone number with the word for “taxi” scrawled beneath it. A man also even expressed his love by writing a message to his beloved on the mountain. 

In 1987, what may be the largest message was erected. It was a drawing of the pope, created to celebrate his visit to the city. The artwork is still there, though it has faded.

These texts are a staple of the city. Because old ones fade and new ones are frequently added, the assortment of messages to read is always changing.