AN OASIS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT

San Pedro de Atacama is located 100k km (60 mi) from Calama Airport, and it is the point of departure to wander the surroundings.

There are more than 7 daily flights from Santiago to Calama, which last about 2 hours.

San Pedro de Atacama features a significant archeological museum, a church, handcraft stores and restaurants offering gourmet dishes, made from local products, such as a Quinoa Risotto or a Rica Rica Sour (cocktail drink).

The area offers not only impressive natural attractions, but also pre-Columbian vestiges and a rich cultural heritage dating from before the Incas period.

Due to the lack of humidity, high altitude and low light pollusion, the skies of San Pedro de Atacama are among the clearest ones in the world, allowing to observe the stars and constellations at night like nowhere else.

HIGH ALTITUDE

San Pedro de Atacama lies at an average of 2,400 meters above sea level (7,900 feet), and people not used to high altitudes often experience mild altitude sickness such as dizziness, lethargy and headaches.

Before heading to the higher altitudes (such as El Tatio Geysers) it is recommend to stay 2 nights in San Pedro de Atacama for acclimatization. Coca tea is often recommended for travelers in to prevent altitude sickness.

THE ATACAMA DESERT

The desert has an extension of  105,000 sq km (41,000 sq mi) and it is mainly composed by salt flats, sand and silisic deposits. Atacama is famous for being the driest place in the world and in some parts of the desert, there are no records of significant rains during 400 years!

The aridity of the area forces us to keep ourselves hydrated, so do not forget to carry on a bottle of water during your excursions and explorations.

HIGHLIGHTS

Moon Valley
Arcoiris Valley
Atacama Salt Flat
Chaxa Lagoon
Cejar Lagoon
San Pedro de Atacama Church
Toconao
Chiu Chiu
Caspana
Tara Salt Flat
Altiplanic Lagoons
Pukará de Quitor
Puritama Hot Springs

CLIMATE

In the Chilean northern region of Atacama, the desert dominates the landscape, with a climate characterized for its extreme weather conditions. Both the coastline and the valleys are warm with generally cloudy skies in the morning, which turn sunny by midday.

The inland region has an average diurnal temperature that rise above 30ºC (86°F). In the Altiplano they usually drop below 0ºC (32°F) during the night.

The best season to visit Atacama is from April to November avoiding the Altiplano winter.

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Acommodation Options

All-inclusive: Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Enjoy the flavors and dishes from the experienced hands of our chefs.

Bed & Breakfast: Enjoy a buffet-style breakfast, including a selection of hams, cheeses, breads, natural juices, preserves and sweets.

Sustainable House

The ecological design of its energy system is the result of the main concept of Casa Atacama: to be a complement to the town of San Pedro, along with its cultural surroundings.

On the other hand, the lighting in the rooms and the hotel are of low consumption and are also connected to the solar panels. The same goes for the heating system.

Jorge Sanchez, architect of Casa Atacama, says the design is sustainable because of the way the hotel is built, for a better use of energy, along with the type of materials used for the construction of the hotel that keep it cool and lets it have an agreeable temperature throughout the year.

Casa Atacama is one of the first sustainable hotels in the north of Chile, where we promote an ecologically responsible tourism, taking care of the natural resources as well as promoting recycling and a proper use of electrical energy among our guests.

“El Emporio”, Gourmet products from San Pedro

Dating back to 1860, this shop offers local specialty foods from the millennia-old Atacama culture.

Once you come to feel at home in San Pedro, you will learn how to pick the best local specialty items. Try some “Cochayuyo al escabeche” (pickled seaweed) or choose from the array of brightly decorated glass jars, which hold San Pedro’s best-kept gastronomic secrets.

TREKKING

• Cuchabrache

  Cuchabrache

  Cuchabrache offers impressive panoramic views of the formations of the Salt Mountain Range and the Catarpe Valley, where the San Pedro River runs to the Andes Mountains. The area is notable for its variety of perspectives and ambiances, from the highly arid cornice with a 360-degree view, to the riverbed’s abundant vegetations, and the Catarpe Ayllu, with its crops, shepherds and llamas.

  

• Machuca/Río Grande

  Machuca / Río Grande

  

  This excursion immerses us in the landscapes of the High Plateau, a pleasant hike along rivers where we´ll discover an old shepherd route where you can still see the vestiges of human occupation, with its crop terraces, the world of shepherds and llamas.

• Guatín – Puritama

  Guatín – Puritama

  The Guatín-Puritama hike combines the charm of walking along lush riverside vegetation with the treat of bathing in the thermal waters of the magnificent Puritama Hot Springs.

  

• Kari Gorge

  Kari Gorge

  

  This excursion allows us to discover the fascinating mineral world of the Valley of the Moon. The area is renowned for its geological formations, high clay walls, caves, and spectacular salt, gypsum and clay formations. It’s also notable for its faults and bends, eroded by wind and water. Here, the silence is only interrupted by the crunch of salt underfoot.

• Chus-Chul

  Chus-Chul

  An easy, enjoyable walk along various rivers. Notable for its rich variety of petroglyphs.

  

• Guatinka

  Guatinka

  

  In Guatinka, you can discover the charms of a fun hike, with a certain degree of physical exertion. Admire the contrasts between the aridity of the gorge and its cacti (which serve as a kind of local sentinel), the abundant green of the vegetation by the river, and a host of rocky formations.

• Cornice

  Cornice

  From the cornices, you can discover impressive geological formations unique to the Salt Mountain Range, and take in a panoramic view of the area. You can also enjoy the fun of descending a 100-meter-tall dune.

  

SCENIC

• Tatio Geysers

  Tatio Geysers

  

  To many, a visit to the Tatio Geysers is an essential part of San Pedro. Marveling at the towering spouts of steam before sunrise is an unmatched spectacle.

• Toconao / Chaxa Lagoon

  Toconao / Chaxa Lagoon

  We will visit the town of Toconao and tour its orchards, main square and church, and Chaxa Lagoon, where we can admire the flocks of flamingoes.

  

• High Plateau Lagoons

  High Plateau Lagoons

  

  We´ll discover magnificent high plateau landscapes, as well as remote and solitary spots. We will also enjoy a gourmet lunch outdoors, with a terrific view of a truly wild destination, where you feel the force, the calm and the silence of the mountains.

• Hierbas Buenas / V. Arcoíris / Río Grande

  Hierbas Buenas / V. Arcoíris / Río Grande

  This excursion allows you to visit some of the area´s lesser-known parts, mixing cultural ancestry with spectacular landscapes. In Hierbas Buenas, you’ll get to see fantastic petroglyphs and learn about the Likanantai culture. The Valle Arcoíris (Rainbow Valley) is known for its unique rock formation and colorful hills, while the town of Río Grande is a traditional Andean town, where life moves at its own pace.

  

• Ancestral Caravan in Coyo

  Ancestral Caravan in Covo
  

  

  A walk along side llamas through historic landscapes reliving the paths that the native Likan Antai people would use during their journeys, searching for the best land to settle.

• Tara Salt Flat

  Tara Salt Flat
  

  A spectacular place reverberating with the energy of the remote and wild high plateau. Here, we´ll discover typical local landscapes, including pampas, salt flats and the surrounding Andes Mountains, as well as unique rock formation like the Monjes de la Pakana (Monks of the Pakana) and the Catedrales de Tara (Tara Cathedrals).

  

BIKING

• Cejar Lagoon

  Cejar Lagoon
  

  

  Biking provides a pleasant way of reaching the Cejar Lagoon, where we can enjoy its salty waters and impressive landscape.

• Pucará of Quitor

  Pucará of Quitor
  

  A classic, light excursion that allows us to discover a beautiful part of the oasis, the Quitor Ayllu, and its famed archeological monument, the Pukará.

  

MOUNTAIN

• Toco Mountain

  Toco Mountain
  

  

  We depart by van from Casa Atacama, heading east toward the Jama Pass (which connects with Argentina and Bolivia), until we reach the mountainside, at 5,300 meters of altitude. There, we’ll begin our ascent.