San Pedro de Atacama
If you are fascinated by Earth’s bizarre and beautiful terrain and crave outdoor adventures, I recommend visiting San Pedro de Atacama. This small town sits at an elevation of 2,400 meters (7,900 feet) and is located in northern Chile in the heart of the Atacama Desert, the driest desert (also the driest place) in the entire world.
You will struggle to find any locals in San Pedro de Atacama, but visitors don’t travel here for the culture, they come to experience the nature.
I spent 3.5 days exploring the Atacama desert and the surrounding region, but I easily could have spent a week or longer. There are dozens of sites to see and outdoor activities to partake in, ranging from watching flamingos eat at the Atacama salt flats, hiking nearby volcanoes, or even sand-boarding down desert dunes. And, relative to North America or Europe the guided tours and activities are inexpensive. Not only is San Pedro de Atacama a great destination for the solo adventurer, but it is the perfect place to take the family on a vacation without having to break the bank.
Below is an overview of my San Pedro de Atacama adventure. At the bottom of the article, I have included some pro-tips for those wishing to visit Chile’s desert.
Guatin Canyon Tour and Downhill Mountain Bike Adventure
I highly recommend either hiring a bike or going on a bike tour in the desert. I opted for a 1/2 day biking tour with Hati Tours Atacama. During this tour, the tour operator and owner, John transported our small group of four adventurous souls to Guatin Canyon. John provided a local’s perspective of the desert and canyon; we trekked along the canyon’s small stream side-stepping cacti while learning about desert geology, cacti, and animals, like the viscacha, that I had never heard of or seen before. Afterwards, we hopped on our bikes and flew down the desert roads, on a mostly downhill, wild 20+ kilometer ride from the canyon back to town.
**In the above picture, you will see me rocking a Buff.
f to protect my neck and face from the desert winds, sand, and sun. It’s a must if you are planning to visit the desert or go hiking in Patagonia.
Valle De La Luna Sunset Tour
El Valle De La Luna (“Valle La Luna” or “Valley of the Moon”) is one of the must-see attractions in the Atacama Desert. You can either: 1) rent a bicycle and bike to the valley during the morning (you are not permitted to enter the valley by bicycle after 1 pm); 2) attend a guided sunset tour; and / or 3) visit the valley at night for an astronomy and stargazing session. I chose to visit the valley for a beautiful desert sunset. Although I am obsessed with the stars, I didn’t visit the valley at night because the light cast from the full moon drowned out the stars.
**As the sun descended the temperature dropped severely. Although its the desert, bring layers!
Piedras Rojas Day Tour
The Piedras Rojas (“red rocks”) guided tour is a full day commitment with many hours spent in the back of van, but the jaw-dropping scenery is worth it!
Rather than bore you with the details, I’ll try to engender some excitement by showing you some of my favorite pictures from the adventure.
Highlights of the tour included: watching Chilean flamingos “dance” in circles to stir up some shrimp cocktail; stopping the van to let packs of vicuna (basically South American camels) cross the road; visiting two stunning lakes (Laguna Miscanti and Laguna Miñiques); and spending 6+ hours viewing barren but indescribably beautiful and diverse terrain (desert, salt flats, salt formations, volcanoes, and mountains).
Puritama Hot Springs (9 Thermal Pools!)
I capped off my Atacama desert adventure with a trip to the Puritama Hot Springs. Truth be told, the water in my hostel happened to run out so a visit to the thermal pools proved timely. Although the springs weren’t hot enough (I prefer scalding), the setting was epic. The hot springs consisted of nine thermal pools that pored from one to the next, so obviously me and my friend Diogo had to spend hours jumping into each and every pool. I have visited thermal springs all over the world, but these springs, wedged in a valley located in the driest place on earth, are near the top of my list. The springs are not crowded and teeming with tourists yet… it’s only a matter of time. Also, the pools are very natural and, other than a handful of man-made safety improvements, they remain largely untouched, a rarity in today’s world.
Pro Travel Tips for Your Atacama Desert Trip
- Stay for a minimum of 3 full days in San Pedro de Atacama. With an altitude of 2,400 meters (7,900 feet), it may take a day to acclimatize. There are so many activities to keep you busy, and you may even consider doing a multi-day hike of one of the nearby volcanoes.
- Visit San Pedro de Atacama on a day close to a new moon. The stargazing in San Pedro de Atacama is supposed to be stellar. Unfortunately, my visit coincided with a full moon, so even though I am a huge stargazing fan, I couldn’t see much of anything.
- Don’t worry about booking tours in advance. There are dozens of tour agencies in town and their shop stalls stay open late. The tours and prices appear nearly identical to one another, but I recommend talking to fellow travelers or your hotel / hostel staff to find the best agencies.
- Consider visiting San Pedro de Atacama prior to or after visiting Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia. San Pedro de Atacama is conveniently located at the border of Bolivia, and many tours to the famous Uyuni Salt Flats leave from San Pedro de Atacama. Bolivia may not let you in without proof of a yellow fever vaccination, and if you are American you will need to procure a visa in advance.
- Visit the local food stalls, on the outskirts of the main square, for quick, inexpensive, and tasty bite. These stalls are a bit difficult to find, but if you are trying to be frugal, they offer the best value for your money. With only 5 USD you can enjoy an appetizer and a main dish; this is significantly cheaper than what you will pay at the other restaurants in town. San Pedro de Atacama is not an expensive town, but it is pricey relative to the other less touristy towns in Chile. The food stalls are located at the northeast corner of the town. From Gustavo Le Paige street, I recommend first walking through Feria Artesenal, a shopping alleyway, once through the alley you will spot the food stalls / restaurants on the northern side of route 23.
- Bring a buff and pack plenty layers. A buff neck guard will protect your face from the wind, sand, dust, and sun. I highly recommend packing one if you plan to go mountain biking or sand-boarding. Additional, although you are in the desert, the temperature drops quickly when the sun goes down, so pack plenty of layers.
Shout out to my new Portuguese friend Diogo. I had a blast exploring the Atacama Desert with you!
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