San Pedro de Atacama is the archaeological capital of Chile and the main cultural center of the Atacama region. The village is known as an oasis in the middle of the driest desert in the world, with narrow alleys and traditional adobe houses. It is the point of departure for excursions to destinations such as the Valley of the Moon, famous for its striking similarity to a lunar landscape, the Atacama Salt Flat, the Tatio Geysers, the Puritama Hot Springs, archeological sites such as Pucará de Quitor and Tulor, and the villages of the Altiplano.
TRANSFER FROM CALAMA AIRPORT & TREKKING LAS CORNISAS
Private transfer from the Calama airport to the Hotel in San Pedro. In the afternoon, the invitation is to wonder at the immensity of the Atacama Desert - the Driest Desert in the world - with a trekking to Las Cornisas, the entrance to the Death Valley famous by its great beauty right in the middle of the Salt Mountain Range. Its clayey red color it’s a show of contrast; and its formations, eroded by the water and the wind, are some of the main highlights in this place. It is in the Death Valley where we have big dunes to, aside from trekking, practicing sandboarding or horseback riding.
It was originally called “Valley of Mars” because of its similarity - both in landscape and color - with the planet Mars. We will descend the “Gran Duna” (Great Dune) to end with a cocktail and some drinks before we return to the Hotel in San Pedro.
THE COLORADOS & BIKING GARGANTA DEL DIABLO
We will begin this incredible experience crossing one of the most important ancient thoroughfares used by local shepherds thousands of years ago. Next, we will pass through the daunting tunnel formerly used to connect San Pedro with Calama. The walk continues along the cliffs of the Cordillera de la Sal, the perfect place to observe the Catarpe Valley, the oasis of San Pedro, the Atacama Salt Flat, the Andes and Cordillera de Domeyko. Finally, as the trek begins to turn make its way back, cross a path which rolls down the middle of the high dunes, a well know feature of Mars Valley. During the afternoon we will continue our Journey with our Biking Experience; our travelers will leave San Pedro fully equipped and with bicycles proper to each one of the participants. The road begins downtown San Pedro and we will start pedaling in direction to Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s throat), we will cross the San Pedro River to enter into the Devil’s throat, a route though the Salt Mountain Range surrounded by unique landscapes and trails with drops and technical moves according to the cyclist’s skills. This circuit is a must to get used to the altitude of the destination and to explore the different surroundings of San Pedro de Atacama.
TATIO GEYSERS & ANCESTRAL ASTRONOMY
We will leave the hotel at around 5 AM to explore the Andean Plateau reaching up to 4,320 meters of altitude above sea level. In this opportunity our travelers will experience one of the most important Geothermic fields in the world, the Tatio Geysers.
On our way back through the same route we will stop for a few minutes at Putana Wetland, it is here where we can spot different species of birds, right in front of the Colorado Volcano. Our last stop will be at the small village Machuca, it is its church where we can appreciate the original type of architecture of the region. To begin to close our day, our travelers will leave San Pedro de Atacama to experience an Archeo-Astronomy session to learn about how the wise atacameños used to gaze at the stars much before the arrival of the Spaniards. It is in this expedition where we will learn the names and meaning behind every figure in the sky, we will talk about the River of Stars, in what is known as the Milky Way, and the importance of the journey after death for the “Day of all Saints” for the people of the Andean Plateau.
After a hot chocolate while gazing at the universe, we will head back to our hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.
TREKKING CACTUS VALLEY & PURITAMA DETOX
We will depart from San Pedro to Guatin, an old Atacama settlement, home to shepherds and farmers. We will begin our trekking upstream bordering the Puritama River and discovering how this warm watercourse brings wonderful fertility to the Andean foothills allowing us to spot several kinds of flora such as Pampa Grass, Chilca, Ojalar, Tikara and Cardón or Elephant Cactus which can reach up to 7 meters of altitude. We will finish our trekking at the Puritama Hotsprings, its flowing waters coming from the mountain at wonderful temperatures have turn this place in one of the most beautiful ones in the Chilean northern area. Enjoying of its medicinal waters rich in minerals at a wonderful temperature of 33°C while surrounded by different species of birds is the perfect way to end our experience and return to San Pedro de Atacama in the transfer we had previously coordinated.
San Pedro de Atacama | Half Day Experience
San Pedro de Atacama | Half Day Experience
We will depart from San Pedro to Guatin, an old Atacama settlement, home to shepherds and farmers. We will begin our experience walking upstream bordering the Puritama River and discovering how this warm watercourse brings wonderful fertility to the Andean foothills allowing us to spot several kinds of flora such as Pampa Grass, Chilca, Ojalar, Tikara and Cardón or Elephant Cactus which can reach up tp 7 meters of altitude. We will finish our trekking at the Puritama Hotsprings, its flowing waters coming from the mountain at wonderful temperatures have turn this place in one of the most beautiful ones in the Chilean northern area.
San Pedro de Atacama | Half Day Experience
San Pedro de Atacama | Half Day Experience
This experience has been developed for those who love horses. Our travelers will depart from the barns in San Pedro de Atacama to arrive at the foothills of the Salt Mountain Range and enter the mythical Moon Valley, a place of wonderful geology, sand, clay and salt. We will hike up Gran Duna (Great Dune) to have a 360 degree view over the valley. Between this beautiful landscape we enjoy of an Atacameño Picnic. After this, we will return to the town of San Pedro, entering the area of 'Los Cañoncitos' (the little canyons), a labyrinth of natural narrow passages right un the heart of the Salt Mountain Range to arrive at Quebrada de Kari (Kari’s Gorge) and its huge cliff. We will head northeast to enter yet another laberynth in Cañoncitos to the valley of the dunes and to later arrive in San Pedro.
San Pedro de Atacama | Half Day Experience
San Pedro de Atacama | Half Day Experience
To begin to close our day, our travelers will leave San Pedro de Atacama to experience an Archeo-Astronomy session to learn about how the wise atacameños – also known as Licanantay - used to gaze at the stars much before the arrival of the Spaniards. It is in this expedition where we will learn the names and meaning behind every figure in the sky, we will talk about the River of Stars, in what is known as the Milky Way, and the importance of the journey after death for the “Day of all Saints” for the people of the Andean Plateau.
After a hot chocolate while gazing at the universe, we will head back to our hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.
San Pedro de Atacama | Half Day Experience
San Pedro de Atacama | Half Day Experience
Our travelers will leave San Pedro fully equipped and with bicycles proper to each one of the participants.
There will be a technical talk regarding the route and security instructions.
The road begins downtown San Pedro and we will start pedaling in direction to Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s throat), we will cross the San Pedro River to enter into the Devil’s throat, a route though the Salt Mountain Range surrounded by unique landscapes and trails with drops and technical moves according to the cyclist’s skills.
This circuit is a must to get used to the altitude of the destination and to explore the different surroundings of San Pedro de Atacama.
San Pedro de Atacama | Full Day Experience
San Pedro de Atacama | Full Day Experience
Our travelers will start their experience on a car on the way towards the international highway, we will visit the Atacama Salt Flat – the 3rd largest salt flat in the world- It is in this Salt Flat, both in the area of Soncor and Laguna Chaxa, were we can spot three types of flamingos inhabiting in Chile.
Later, in the middle of the Andean Plateau and up to 4.300 meters of altitude we will visit the Miscanti and Miñique Lagoons; its blue waters coming from the melting ice of its Volcanos, are the highlight in such a beautiful landscape. We will stop in Socaire for a “Rustic Lunch” in one local little restaurant which resources are grown in ancient farming terraces.
To finish our day, we will also stop in Toconao, we will visit its main square (plaza), the bell tower built in 1750 (with adobe and cactus wood), and the Church of Saint Lucas –last two of them declared National Monuments in 1951 – to later return to our hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.
San Pedro de Atacama | Full Day Experience
San Pedro de Atacama | Full Day Experience
Our travelers will head east, on the international highway to Paso Jama (border connecting Chile with Argentina), up to 4.500 meters of altitude above sea level, we will have a spectacular view of the Licancabur Volcano.
Our first stop will be at the Quepiaco Wetland for a typical fauna sightseeing, mostly flamingos and vicuñas. We will continue to arrive at Monjes de la Pacana (Pacana Monks), it is here in this basin where we can appreciate the remains of volcanic sediments eroded by both water and wind causing the rocks to take even human forms, the main highlight of this place.
We will continue to the Tara Salt Flat for a small walk around its trails. The quietness of the place, its rock cathedrals, and its flora and fauna are a unique landscape for our travelers.
We will later return to our hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.
San Pedro de Atacama | Full Day Experience
San Pedro de Atacama | Full Day Experience
This experience will bring us closer to the Bolivian high plane. Our travelers will leave San Pedro towards Laguna Verde, through the international road to Paso Jama. The route goes up a valley formed by lava and ashes from the Licancabur Volcano.
In route we will stop to gaze upon the Atacama Salt Flat and the Oasis of San Pedro de Atacama. To the north we can view the Majestic Licancabur Volcano and its 5.916 meters of altitude, to later arrive at the Hito Cajón boarder control for Chile/Bolivia.
We will first arrive at Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde and its beautiful colors, later we will cross the Dalí Desert to arrive at Laguna Colorada, known as a “High Andean Salty” lagoons with its borax Islands in the northeast and southeast; its red color its due to the fine sediments on the surface and pigments of some kinds of algae that can only live above 4.000 meters of altitude above sea level. After an Atacameño cocktail we will return to San Pedro.
