November 18, 2024
Hundreds-year-old structures of San Pedro de Atacama
Tierra Atacama, committed to sustainability and a connection with local culture, continues the tradition of incorporating centuries-old construction techniques.
Day 1:
You just arrived in Atacama and fell in love with the surroundings: the desert, its colors and how the sun lends warmth to every surface it touches. As you arrive at Tierra Atacama, we welcome you with hydrating drinks, fruit and the opportunity for a little rest before your first adventure: Salar de Atacama.
The journey begins with a visit to Toconao, an isolated village in the middle of the desert, where you can explore the church, main square and some local artisanal shops. Then, we continue to the Los Flamencos National Reserve, where you’ll discover the Salt flat’s Chaxa Lagoon. Here you can see the Salt flat’s dazzling colors, a result not only of the way it was formed, but also due to the visits of flamingos, Andean gulls, plovers and other birds.
Day 2:
As you acclimatize to the altitude, we present a slightly more intense day with two iconic excursions – one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
We head out early to Vallecito, where we walk through a salt mountain range that looks like It’s from another planet. This tour offers three key experiences: viewing brilliant gypsum crystals and a giant salt crystal, and then looking down upon the splendor of Vallecito and enjoying the lunar landscape from a scenic viewpoint.
In the afternoon, we go directly to Valle Arcoíris (Rainbow Valley), northwest of the San Pedro de Atacama oasis, where we take a short hike, with the Domeiko mountain range accompanying us in the background, that ends with an incredible view of the Yerbas Buenas petroglyphs. Next, we visit Valle Arcoiris, a mountain valley famous for its colorful rocks containing more than 250 different minerals.
Day 3:
On the third day of our Atacama Desert tour, we begin the morning by exploring the renowned Cejar Lagoon on a bike tour to the edge of the Salar de Atacama, where there is a lagoon with such a high concentration of salt in its water that your body will float like you never imagined.
We return to the hotel for something to eat and prepare for a visit to the cactus valley known as Guatin Gatchi. This excursion of moderate difficulty provides an opportunity to get to know a great variety of desert flora, walk a rock-filled path in one of the most amazing giant cactus forests in the area, follow the confluence of the Puritama and Purifica rivers and finish the walk with a beautiful view of the valley from above.
Day 4:
By this point in the trip, your body will be more accustomed to the altitude, so we can take longer excursions, such as a full day to Piedras Rojas, 1 hour and 30 minutes from the hotel.
We will first visit Laguna Miscanti, which is 4,100 meters above sea level. We will take a short tour of about 15 minutes to see the lagoon surrounded by beautiful native fauna, a warm-up for the second lagoon called Meñique, which has a beautiful viewpoint. Finally, for the icing on the cake: we head to Laguna Piedras Rojas. which stands out for its beautiful and calm turquoise waters full of contrasting red stones.
Day 5:
You are approaching the end of your 5-day trip in San Pedro de Atacama, and what better way to end it than with one of the excursions most requested by our guests: Los Geiser del Tatio.
We get up before the sun rises to embark on a journey above 4,200 masl to watch the first rays of morning light cross 12-meter high steam pillars.
At this incredible geothermal field, we have a light breakfast and then continue to take in Tatio’s 80 geysers and natural wonders. If we are lucky, we may see some vicuñas, foxes, vizcachas or suris (Andean ostriches).
On the way back to the Tierra Atacama, we make a stop in Machuca, one of the area’s most picturesque villages, which attracts a lot of attention due to its population of no more than 12 inhabitants. At the hotel, to finish this intense, enriching trip, we recommendthe relaxing treatments at our UMA Spa, which will help you rest up for your travel the next day.
Have you already scheduled your visit to Tierra Atacama? If so, be sure to extend it to at least 5 days, so you can take pleasure in this itinerary, get to know the most popular wonders of San Pedro de Atacama and take the best photos in each of these iconic places.
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