Navy Day (Dia de las Glorias Navales) •
Chile

Navy DayThe Dia de las Glorias Navales or Navy Day is an annual event commemorating the Battle of Iquique which took place during the War of the Pacific.

The Battle of Iquique took place between the Chilean and Peruvian Navy in 1879, namely between Arturo Pratt who commanded the Chilean navy with his ship the Esmeralda against the Peruvian Navy ship the Huascar commanded by Miguel Grau.

The battle was in fact won by Peru and Arturo Pratt not only tragically lost his life along with most of his crew but also had his ship the Esmeralda sunk.

The reason that the this battle is so important is that the event seemed to rally together the Chileans like never before and led on to them eventually winning the war and claiming a large area of land to the north of the country. Arturo Pratt subsequently became something of a national hero and is a prominent feature of Chile's naval history.

During Navy Day you will be able to enjoy military parades throughout many of the main cities as well as lively parades with participants in traditional dress.

Navy Day LocationThere are celebrations for Navy Day throughout Chile, however Iquique, Valparaisio and Santiago are particularly impressive.