Machuca is a small Andean village with a village of 20 houses, it remains of the Andean plateau and is located a few kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama.
Very close to Rio Grande and Tatio Geysers, this small town of no more than 20 houses and a church, is located about 4,000 meters above sea level.
Although its main activity are the llamas, currently the few inhabitants of Machuca are beginning to participate in tourism, already having a hostel and offering some crafts.
Wildlife includes llamas, alpacas, ducks, Andean gulls and flamingos. Many of these animals live under the wing of a lush green bog near the village.
Recommendations
We recommend you that you schedule your flight to Calama to arrive in the morning so you are able to participate in the scheduled activities without affecting the itinerary.
This place has a desertic weather and it’s also some meters above sea levels, which means that throughout the year there is a very large temperature oscillation between day and night. The average annual temperature is between 14° C and 3 ° C.
Many of the excursions and tours that are done include visiting places that are in the Chilean plateau, 3,500 above sea levels. This means that people may experience altitude sickness. It is important that people drink lots of water so they keep their body well hydrated. People shouldn’t make sudden or harsh movements, and let their body get used to the heights and the altitude.
There are few ATMs in San Pedro de Atacama. You have to consider that the demand for these ATMs is high, so they don’t always have money. We advise you to bring some cash with you.
Stores in rural areas are open all day, but they close between 13.00 and 15.00. We advise you to carry local currency (Chilean pesos), since it isn’t possible to pay with debit or credit cards in kiosks and rural stores.
Do not throw garbage on the beaches, parks or streets. To take care of our environment is everyone's responsibility. Avoid fines by following the rules.
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