San Pedro de Atacama is located 2.500 mts. above sea level, on the north side of Atacama Salt Flat, an area of great tourist and archaeological attractions. The town is set on one of the many oasis formed by the rains of the "Bolivian Winter" in Atacama Desert, the driest in the world. That's why you can see truly unique vegetation, like chañares, carob trees, and capsicum.
The area was the main development center of the atacameño culture, and then a scouting party for the Incas. You can take a look at the historic past of San Pedro de Atacama in the Archaeological Museum Padre Le Paige in Quitor Pukará and Tulor Village, near the town. You'll feel transported to another time when you go through the cultivation fields and visit the traditional adobe houses.
But it's not all archaeology. The surroundings of San Pedro de Atacama also offer various attractions and unique landscapes that have been formed due to the extreme conditions of the area (lack of water, volcanic activity and the presence of salt flats).
The Cordillera de la Sal (Salt Mountain Range) will surprise you with its Moon Valley and Tatio Geysers, which are a spectacle that not even mountain sickness can spoil. Also, Los Flamencos National Reserve is a display of the varied fauna that inhabits this hostile area. Finally, the towns of Toconao and Socaire show the lifestyle inherited from the ancient peoples.
Gastronomy
Within San Pedro de Atacama, there is a great variety of places to taste, like the typical Atacama food, pizzas to the stone or even different vegetarian option that use the vegetables and more typical vegetables of the zone.
How to go
Plane: Flight from Santiago – Calama (2 hours 10 minutes).
Bus: 20 hours from Santiago to Calama/ Calama to San Pedro (1 hour).
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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