San Pedro de Atacama


SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA

San Pedro de Atacama is the archaeological capital of Chile and the main cultural center of the Atacama region. The village can be reached by taking an hour and a half flight to Calama (from Santiago), followed by a one hour drive (60 miles) that will take you directly to this oasis in the middle of the driest desert in the world.

San Pedro is a small village 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.

San Pedro de Atacama can be visited all year round, even during January–March, when the weather phenomenon referred to as the Altiplanic Winter occurs, causing occasional showers.