4D/3N Iquique, Humberstone, Cariquima, Colchane, Volcanoe Isluga, Vicuña, Surire, Lauca, Chungará, Arica

We will leave Iquique in the morning to visit the most impressive nitrate mine of Chile. Humberstone was declared World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO. While today it is only a ghost town, it has become an important tourism attraction in the region. Rust and ruins symbolize the beauty, remoteness and silence of this ex-nitrate-mine. While walking the dusty streets under the sun and exploring the abandoned houses you will find various marks and signatures left by the numerous visitors that have come to discover this fantastic town in the pampa of Tamarugal.

We will stop in the village of Huara, a place with favorable climatic and geographic conditions that convert it to a paradise for adventure- and eco-tourism. Here we will have lunch. A few kilometers away from Huara, you will get to know the biggest artistic representation of a human being in the world: The Atacama Giant, located at the flanks of the Cerro Unita (Unita Mountain) some kilometers away from the village Huara. This geoglyph attracts thousands of tourists every year and is considered one the most impressive geoglyph in the north of Chile. The figure measures 86 meters, representing a pre-Inca human. There are many interpretations about the meaning of this place. For example, people say that the geoglyph represents a god of an ancient culture that lived in the area around 1.000 and 1.400 b.C.

We will pass through the town of Cariquima, another representation of the ancient Aymara life that serves as a central meeting point of the indigenous cultures. It has been famous for many centuries for its beautiful handicrafts. Close to the border on the flanks of the mountains you will discover the giant cactuses that reach up to 10 meters high and can only be found in this area in extreme altitude. Finally we will get to our destination Colchane, small Aymara-village at the border to Bolivia at an altitude of 3.750m.

Leaving Colchane in the morning we will be visiting the altiplanic communes of Enquelga and Isluga. They are located in the middle of a bofedal where Llamas and Alpacas graze. Also, the churches are very beautiful to see. They are made out of adobe and date back to the 17th century.

We will continue the tour to the Nationl Park Vulcano Isluga, located more than 4.000m above sea level, crossing the paths of the highlands, the desert and the pampa. The diversity is impressive and allows you to appreciate different landscapes within the park, such as the lagoon Arabilla, surrounded by small bofedales (wetlands) and forests of Queñua (typical tree of the highlands). Arriving at the hot springs of Polloquere, you can enjoy a picnic lunch while observing flamingos in the highland sceneries.

The journey continues, reaching the most captivating destination of this tour, the salt lake Surire. It is located at 4,200 m above sea level. Surire was declared national monument and is a truly magical place. The intensely white salt deposits contrast with the pure blue of the water of the lagoons, without doubt a delight to your eyes. The salt lake of Surire also preserves the existence of valuable species such as the ostrich (ñandu), flamingo, vicuña, alpaca and the llama, among others. And also the precious flamingos find their habitat in this extraordinary ecosystem: three out of the six existing flamingo species are regularly seen around the salt lake.

From here, the route takes us to the towns of Ancuta, consisting of just 5 houses, and Guallatire, located at 83 km of Putre at the foot of the volcano Guallatiri. We cross the National Reserve of the Vicuñas which, as its name implies, was created to preserve the vicuña. The flora and fauna of this place are very attractive as they include a great variety of species. In the National Reserve Las Vicuñas, you can discover majestic sceneries that are typical for the Chilean Highlands.

Finally, after enjoying captivating landscapes and an rich flora and fauna we will arrive in the village of Putre, where the second day of our tour ends.

We leave Putre in the morning. Our destination is the National Park Lauca with an expanse of 137.883 hectares, a biosphere reserve that covers the foothills and the highlands in the northeastern region of Arica and Parinacota. We start our day with a short hike through the sector of the caves. In this district, you can get to know the paradisiacal landscapes of the highlands, 4.300m above sea level, and you can observe the so-called Vizcachas. What makes this hike special is the mystical ambience that surrounds the region. It is believed that there are men living in this area who are over 9000 years old, and sometimes they are still seen, walking the paths of the highlands. They are said to be the very first visitors who appreciated the beauty of the landscapes.

Our journey continues to the viewing point of Chucuyo, which is located in the center of the National Park Lauca. Take some time to observe and learn about a unique ecosystem and an extraordinary flora and fauna. From here, we continue to the Lagoons of Cotacotani. This lagoon consists of different lakes and volcanic islands, providing evidence of the high volcanic activity of this zone. The viewing point lies in the middle of the wetlands and is the perfect spot to observe the great variety of plants and animals, such as the parinas, ducks, vicuñas, vizcachas and taguas.

We will be moving on to one of the most beautiful attraction of the National Park Lauca, the Lake Chungara, which is located over 4.500 meters over sea level and is one of the highest lakes in the world. It’s magical beauty and the marvelous reflection of the volcano Parinacota amaze thousands of tourists every year. On the other side of the lake, you can see the famous volcanoes Payachata (twin volcanos), about which many legends are told due to their mystical appearance. For example, people say that they house an old treasure of the Inca, and others say that they are a couple in love.

On our way back, we will visit the village of Parinacota which was declared national monument. Here, you can discover the ancient architecture of the highlands. The old houses are all made of adobe and have a great historical value, for they contain relicts of the time of colonialism and are symbols of the Aymara-culture. At the end of our excursion we enjoy a bath in the thermal springs of Jurasi, located in the middle of a small canyon. They are well known for its medical purposes, for example, they are recommended in case of rheumatism.

After enjoying all these different landscapes and regaining our strength with a warm thermal bath, we will return to Putre, where we started the trip to this wonderful world in the Chilean highlands. Dinner and accommodation.

We leave Putre and visit the location of Socoroma, outstanding for its architecture and its beautiful green terraces. Afterward, we are going to stop at one of the biggest ancient tambos of Inca times. We will stop at the Tambo Sapahuira to have lunch, are you will get the possibility to try the typical food of the Chilean highlands.  

Our tour continues to one of the most important archaeological complexes in the area, the fort Pukara de Copaquilla, declared national monument and surrounded by an impressive canyon of about 150m of depth. Also, we are going to pass the Candelabra canyon. It was named after its vegetation, the candelabra cactuses, that are typical for the desert. The branches are usually placed in the upper part of the plant, making it look like a chandelier and giving the cactus its name.

We will cross the Lluta Valley, natural exit of the highlands to the ocean. Here, we stop in the very first settlement of the valley, Poconchile. This town is surrounded by fields of alfalfa and well known for its church, Iglesia de San Gerónimo, which was declared national monument due to its impressive beauty preserved since the 17th century. 

The following stop will be the Cerro Sagrado (Holy Mountain), a hill that also presents geoglyphs of mythological figures. The viewing point Las Llosyas is the best place to observe these beautiful geoglyphs. We are going to visit the Archaeological Museum of San Miguel of Azapa which contains some of the most relevant patrimonial relicts of the archaeology in Chile: The most ancient mummies in the world that belong to the Chinchorro culture and are more than 10.000 years old.

We will finish out tour through the north of Chile in the city of Arica, known and valued for its ancient architecture and its enjoyable climate. Here, our tour ends.