Encounter San Pedro de Atacama
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Discover a location in the high, arid plains of northern Chile, unlike anything else, where South America’s Pacific coastline falls into Bolivia’s border, a seemingly incredible landscape.
The land seems to be uniting the moon, stars, and layers under the earth’s crust. With its vast desert plains, the Atacama desert, volcanic summits, stunning white salt pans, undulating rock and orange rock and sand, Turquoise Lagoons, and idyllic beaches capture travelers from the world over. Atacama’s biggest secret is that it has an incredible variety of wildlife, flora, and fauna, despite its being deserted and inhospitable. The Chinchorro, a traditional community trading with the Incas in Peru, was also named the Atacama’s birthplace almost 8000 years ago.
The Atacama Desert has many beautiful places to explore. In this harsh and barren land, the town of San Pedro de Atacama is the starting point of many people who pass through the lunar desert, a natural oasis of which civilization has been a beacon for many years. San Pedro is now a center of the region where people embark on journeys into this ethereal part of the world to marvel at its wonders.
Andean city at the heart of South America
The Moon Valley and El Tatio Geysers are some of the highlights of the area. The Moon Valley is one of the most unique locations globally and is part of the Salt Mountain range. Low peaks created by salt and clay rise in sloping desert floor spikes, building walls that recall the Grand Canyon, except the water – amazingly, the rain was never and was never reported in some parts of that highland desert.
Another inevitable spot in the Atacama is the El Tatio geysers. These are some of the world’s largest sources and the third most significant geyser array in the world, situated 4,200m above sea level. It’s easier to visit them both in the Moon Valley and for the geysers in the morning when the bubbles light up this vast scenery. A visit to the Atacama will not be complete without visiting the Altiplanic lagoons, where from abandoned mining communities in the mountains, you can take a stunning view of the salt flats and see oddly colored water bodies with pink flamingo clusters standing on their edges.
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WHAT NOT TO MISS in san pedro de atacama
Tatio Geysers
Watch your steps when visiting the Atacama’s El Tatio Geysers, surrounded by volcanoes feeding over 80 gurgling geysers and hundreds of gas emitted by fumaroles. Perhaps the most spectacular and majestic field of geysers in the world because of its location amidst the desert and the great natural source you can use to get rid of your chills in the desert on a cold morning. A 14,170ft long. El Tatio is one of the world’s largest geyser fields, with the highest eruption around you hitting approximately 19ft!
Pukará de Quitor
The Pucará de Quitor, founded in the 13th Century, was situated at the southern side of the Cordillera de la Sal 2km north of San Pedro de Atacama. The fortress consists of walls arranged in circular or square terraces which provide a panoramic view of the valley, with numerous subdivisions inside, all of which are connected by mazes and staircases, that could serve as dwellings, shelter animals and warehouses. The outer and the inner walls of the fortress are made of reddish stone from the same location.
Salar de Atacama
Chile’s largest salt flat and third largest on the planet, the Salar de Atacama is not shimmering white, like those of the Bolivian Salar de Uyuni or the Salinas Grandes. One of the key highlights is the Los Flamencos National Reserve, where one can watch elegant flamingos with lagoons of salt, such as Chaxa Lagoon. This emerald green lake has more saline than the Dead Sea, and is en route to the salty waters of Laguna Cejar. Lie back and feel your body rising to the surface, relax in the lagoon and float your life away.
Piedras Rojas
Piedras Rojas (or ‘Red Rocks’) is the next most popular thing to do in the Atacama Desert aside from the Patio Glaciers and Moon Valley. Water of the bluest color laps against large sandstone formations that glow red in the midday sun. The rocks have been eroded over time to be round lumps across the landscape.It’s a bit of a drive from San Pedro de Atacama, but with snow-capped volcanos forming the backdrop, it’s easy to see why travelers find it worth the visit.
Moonvalley
The ‘Valley de la Luna’ is one of the most incredible places to experience the sunrise and sunset in the world. The landscape turns into a painter’s canvas with blend of reds, oranges, pinks and yellows, the broad, untoppable ridges, cliffs, pointed peacocks and pale valleys. Standing on one of the gigantic sand dunes, you can take in an impressive view over this unusual moonscape with its unusual scenery eroded by years of heavy winds from the desert.
Baltinache & Laguna Cejar
Some of the salt flat areas are part of the National Reserve of Los Flamencos, the Laguna Cejar is 18km from San Pedro, and a sink hole lake in the Salar de Atacama. The concentration of salt is extremely high, which allows travelers to experience the floating sensation similar to that of the Dead Sea. There vast salt plains produce interesting perceptions of depth and endless photography fun.
destination map
| Title | Address | Description |
|---|---|---|
Santiago de Chile | Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile | A city where old meets new in the architecture, culture, and geography of this Chilean metropolis. In Chile’s central valley of the Santiago Basin, the city is surrounded by many formidable mountain ranges that dominate the horizon. The Andes, which are as far away from Santiago’s side as the Pacific Ocean is from the other, are among them. Read more… |
Chilean Patagonia | Patagonia | Patagonia is a vast region of Argentina & Chile, and the southernmost tip of South America. Chilean Patagonia, which draws tourists for its thrilling outdoor sports and seasonal wildlife spotting. In Chilean Patagonia, the Andes sink drastically into the Pacific, producing unique geographical formations and an extensive array of archipelagos, channels, and fjörds. Read more… |
San Pedro de Atacama | San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta, Chile | In northern Chile’s high, arid plains, an otherworldly moon-like landscape meets with the night skies. With vast desert plains, volcanic peaks, gleaming white salt pans, undulating pink and orange rock and sand formations, and turquoise lagoons, Atacama Desert is a remote land that continues to captivate travelers, and home to a variety of wildlife, flora, and fauna. Read more… |
Lake District | Avenida Philippi 1215, Frutillar Bajo, Frutillar, Los Lagos, Chile | At the Andes’ base, this 600-mile long sliver of mountainous terrain boasts numerous lakes between the mountain range and sea running south. This region draws tourists who enjoy a slower, more relaxed pace of exploration, to explore the lakes and their surroundings individually, away from the crowds and tourist traps of southern Patagonia, to give you that desired feeling of pure solitude in nature. Read more… |
Easter Island | Isla de Pascua, Valparaíso, Chile | This Pacific Island, located an astounding 2,200 m away from the South American coast, technically belongs to Chile. Famous for its giant Moai statues, iconic and mysterious stone heads have made the island popular throughout the world as remote, isolated, and enigmatic. The Moai were sculpted more than 400 decades ago by the indigenous Rapa Nui, the indigenous people inhabiting the island. Read more… |
Depending on your client’s preferences, we can help you determine the best experiences tailored for your clients. From where to visit, when to go, what to do and how to get there safely, our travel experts will help you create an experience your clients will love.
Best times to visit San Pedro de Atacama
The Wildness of Atacama is a place of extremes, that includes in temperature, where desert temperatures fluctuate from dawn temperatures rising to 104 degrees centigrade, then falling to 5 degrees centigrade at night. Throughout the year the desert has an unbelievable number of sunny days, with almost 90% of the day in full light. As this is the driest place in the world, rain-water travelers are pleased to know that rainfall is highly unlikely during their stay. December through February are definitely the best time of year to visit the desert, but this is also high season for tourism so that comes with higher prices as well. The low winter temperatures put many travelers off but if you want to visit between June and September, you will have the area to visit you.
practical information
HOW TO GET THERE
Visitors to the Atacama Desert usually stop in San Pedro de Atacama before starting their journey towards this unearthly area. Flight time is about two hours and flights operate from Santiago to Calama, the nearest city to San Petro. Alternatively, a lot of busses go to San Pedro, but the journey time is not the most convenient. It is the most economical but not hassle-free way to go along this path. Talk to one of our travel experts and they will give you advice on how best to get to the desert according to your destinations.
GETTING AROUND
Due to its remote location, San Pedro de Atacama finds itself one of the top three destinations in Chile, which means it tends to be a bit more expensive than you might expect. However, it makes for a nice opportunity to stay in and enjoy the amenities of a wonderful hotel, the city center is within walking distance of most of the hotels and attractions.
WHERE TO STAY
Due to its remote location, San Pedro de Atacama finds itself one of the top three destinations in Chile, which means it tends to be a bit more expensive than you might expect. However, it makes for a nice opportunity to stay in and enjoy the amenities of a wonderful hotel, the city center is within walking distance of most of the hotels and attractions.
More highlights of Chile
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