The town has a communal hot spring with a surface temperature of 40 °C, which makes it a popular bath place in the middle of the desert.

[5] The settlement has pre-Hispanic origins and served as an important stopover for transit between the coast and the Altiplano during the time of the Inca Empire.

[8] In 1918 geologist Juan Brüggen mentioned the existence of 23 socavones in the Pica oasis, yet these have since then been abandoned due to economic and social changes.

[2] As a commune, Pica is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years.

The communal council for the 2021–2024 term has the following members: Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Pica is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Marta Isasi (Ind.)