Built by English shipbuilders in 1863, the Huáscar Monitor was the flagship of the Peruvian armada during the War of the Pacific. After the Naval Combat of Iquique, when it faced and sank La Esmeralda, it was captured by Chile in the Battle of Angamos, on 8 October 1879. The Peruvian Admiral Miguel Grau Seminario died in this battle, making him the greatest national hero of his country’s navy.
The Huáscar is an armor-plated warship, with an Ericsson-style spur, that carries 1,130 tons, 200 feet long and 35 wide. It was propelled by a 1,500 horsepower motor, has a 4.5 inch iron cuirass and a revolving tower 30 feet wide, and 5.5 inches of reinforced naval armor, with two 300 lb Armstrong canons and two 40 lb revolving canons. By the standards of the second half of the 19th Century, this was a respectable warship.
The vessel is now anchored in the Chilean port of Talcahuano, 500 km south of Santiago, home of the main naval base of the country.
Nowadays, the Huáscar is a floating museum. During your visit you will hear details of the history of the monitor, you can walk around the cabins, the machine room, the canon tower and the deck, where a sign marks the exact spot where Arturo Prat died. Filming and photography is only allowed inside the boat.
This floating museum is open all year round from Tuesday to Sunday, from 09:300 and 12:30 hrs and 13:30 to 17:30 hrs.