San Pedro de Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama, an oasis in the middle of the desert, is a perfect place to listen to the sound of silence. From its land, underground waters sprout that together with the lagoons inserted in the altiplano give you breathtaking landscapes that you must see at least once in your life.

Adventure sports have become one of the most attractive challenges for visitors, as there are bicycle and trekking routes that host a series of entertaining archaeological attractions. A town that meets all the needs of those who visit it, and offers a wide range of accommodation from hostels to a 5-star hotel.

At the same time, the cuisine here is suitable for all budgets. San Pedro lives on tourism and tourism lives in San Pedro. We invite you to love yourself with this amazing corner of the Chilean highlands.

San Pedro de Atacama Church
A little gem of Altiplano architecture, covering an area of ​​no more than eight blocks, with adobe houses, dirt roads, and a beautiful 18th-century church painted in white. Its heart is located in the central square, an oasis where tamarugos, chañares, and carob trees grow, surrounded by the Municipal Building, the Church of San Pedro, and a variety of restaurants and tourist services. Other places of interest include the Cemetery, characteristic for its tombs decorated with paper flowers, and El Pueblo de Los Artesanos, a site that brings together various typical works from the Atacama region.

Gustavo Le Paige Archaeological Museum:
An unmissable activity to do in San Pedro de Atacama for lovers of history is the visit to this small museum, home of an invaluable collection of artifacts and elements typical of the Atacama culture, such as precious metals, textiles, and utensils for the use of Hallucinogens Most of these pieces were collected and unearthed between pre-Inca cemeteries, pucarás and Atacameno villages, by the Jesuit Father Gustavo Le Paige (from whom the museum takes its name). Until 2007, mummies were also exhibited, which were removed at the request of the Lickanantay People. More information about schedules and rates on the museum site.

Astronomical
San Pedro de Atacama is famous for hosting one of the cleanest skies in the world, a condition is given by its more than 330 clear nights, which allow appreciating impressive star shows. Several agencies operate astronomical tours in the area, some only make a description of the stars and constellations to simple human eyes, while others, more sophisticated, have powerful telescopes that allow navigation through the cosmos.

Pucara de Quitor
Another unmissable visit to San Pedro de Atacama for lovers of history corresponds to this archaeological site located just 3 kilometers away, consisting of a series of ruins of stone fortifications built between 1000 and 1500 AD. for the Atacama culture. Abandoned for 400 years, it is now a National Monument, it was restored during the decade of the '80s, reconstructing a large part of its original defense wall, allowing visitors to get an idea of ​​the original image that the group would have had.

Poblado de Tulor
Historical enclave located 10 kilometers from San Pedro, corresponding to one of the oldest archaeological sites in northern Chile, raised and inhabited until the 5th century AD by the Atacama culture. The site includes a set of structures buried by the advance of the desert, surrounded by a perimeter wall, inside which 23 circular enclosures and other annexed buildings are visible.

Valley de la Muerte
Also known as Valle de Marte, it corresponds to a sand valley located in the middle of the Cordillera de la Sal, just 2 kilometers from San Pedro, a magical scenery surrounded by dunes, reddish-brown hills, and strange rock formations modeled at the same time. over millennia by erosion processes. Its spectacle reaches its maximum splendor during the dusk, the moment where the sands and mountains, change of colors until dying of red, remembering the surface of the planet Mars. In its dunes with narrow sand strands, it is also possible to practice sandboarding, an activity offered by most of the tours that operate in the place, suitable for people of all ages and physical conditions.

Valle de la Luna:
Located 13 kilometers from San Pedro, in the Los Flamencos National Reserve, it corresponds to a desert landscape immersed in the spectacular scenery of the Cordillera de la Sal, famous for the particular appearance of its relief that resembles a lunar landscape. Between its characteristics, they emphasize the beauty of its dunes and hills, the presence of singular rock formations modeled along millions of years by erosive processes, and the particular whitish tint that dyes the surface of its sands.

Laguna Chaxa
An unmissable visit to San Pedro de Atacama for nature lovers corresponds to this wonderful lagoon located 50 kilometers from the town, immersed among the stunning landscapes of the Salar de Atacama, characteristic for its whitish and rough tints, lines that fissure the terrain and mounds that emerge reminding of small craters. Another of its attractions is to be home to several colonies of flamingos and other endemic birds that inhabit the different water mirrors in which the lagoon is fragmented. More information on access and rates on the National Flamingos Reserve site.

Geysers del Tatio
Natural wonder located 90 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama, at an altitude of 4,000 meters high, comprising a geothermal field, formed based on 80 fumaroles, which give off vapors of volcanic origin and waters at 86 ºC that rise above the 8 meters, configuring one of the corners of greater beauty that the desert can offer. Famous for its extension, it corresponds to the largest group of geysers in the southern hemisphere and the third-largest in the world, after Yellowstone (United States) and Dolina Giezerov (Russia). The visits are made during the sunrise, between 05:30 and 08:00, when it is possible to see this show at its best.

Termas de Puritama
Beautiful spot bathed by the Puritama thermal river, an oasis in the Atacama desert, formed by a deep rocky canyon between which are formed small waterfalls and a series of shallow pools with water that sprout at 33 ºC. These hot springs are located 35 kilometers from San Pedro on the way to the El Tatio geysers. Although they are managed by the Hotel Explora, they are open to all public, upon payment of admission.


How to get there by
  • Auto From Antofagasta take Route 5 to Carmen Alto and then continue on route CH 25 to Calama, from this last point take route CH 23 in the direction of San Pedro de Atacama.  
How to get there by Plane
  • From Santiago daily flights to El Loa Airport in Calama (2 hours without a stopover). At the airport, you can take a transfer that will take you directly to San Pedro de Atacama.  
How to get there by Bus
  • From Santiago: you can only arrive with Tur BUS, the trip lasts a little more than 24 hours.
  • San Borja Terminal (former North Terminal): San Borja and Alameda, near the Estación Central train station. Phone: (56-2) 7760645 From Antofagasta: The buses depart from: Carlos Oviedo Cavada Terminal: Pedro A. Cerda 5750. Telephone: (55) 484502
 

Local Tips:


You can access the original article here