8D/7N Journey through the driest desert in the world, the Atacama Desert

The first day starts with your airport pick-up in Calama, where your visit to the North of Chile begins. Mayuru Tour will take care of your transfer and bring you to your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.

Our tour starts in San Pedro de Atacama. Our destination are the altiplanic lagoons Miñiques and Miscanti, natural lakes of an intense blue color. To get there, we will take the route via Toconao, a colonial village with an unique architecture. All its buildings are made out of stone from volcanoes, so called Liparitas, including its old colonial church with its impressive bell tower.

On the horizon, we will get to see the great peaks of the cordillera of the Andes at 4.300m above sea level. Spot the silhouette of volcano Lincancabur, the symbol of San Pedro, and enjoy views over the Jere Valley in the surroundings of the village Toconao. The fresh water that flows through this valley helps to grow an extraordinary flora.

We will reach the biggest treasure of the driest desert in the world, the impressive Salt Lake of the Atacama. Without doubt, this enormous lake covered in salt creates a unique and majestic natural ambience. The intense color contrast and the numerous small canyons in this area create a fascinating setting. The salt lake of the Atacama is one of the biggest in Chile, and is partly protected as part of the Flamingo National Reserve.

Next, we stop in the pre-cordilleran village Socaire, where you can enjoy a great view over the white salt lake. The town is known for its handicrafts mainly made out of llama wool. Here, you will have the possibility to taste the typical food of the region. Afterward, explore the fantastic lagoon Chaxa, a place that is home to ducks, alpacas, vicuñas, foxes and ostriches. Also, pink flamingos can be spotted resting at the shore.

Finally, we will reach our destination, the fabulous lagoons of Miscanti and Miñiques. The lagoons were formed about a million years ago through the eruption of the volcano Meñiques. They form part of the Flamingo National Reserve and are beautifully located between impressive volcanos. Their blue color contrasts with the brown mountains, creating a truly unique natural setting. Take your time to contemplate the beauty of nature before we make our way back to San Pedro de Atacama.

Today, our tour starts at 5:00am from the hotel. We will travel into the mountains to experience one of the most fascinating natural spectacles of the Atacama Desert: the Tatio Geysers. This geothermic field stems from volcanic origin and is located at more than 4.000m above sea level. Here, hot water and steam shoot up into the sky, reaching temperatures of about 85 ºC in the morning hours between 6:00 and 7:00am. The field includes more than 40 active geysers that actually represent 8% of all the active geysers in the world. Also, you will find a set of thermal baths and a natural pool. Enjoy your breakfast while watching the geysers erupt over and over again.

Afterward, we are going to visit the small village of Machuca, located at 80km of San Pedro de Atacama. This village consists of about 20 houses. The few inhabitants of the town live off agriculture and cheese production. From here, we will return to San Pedro de Atacama where we arrive at noon.

In the afternoon:

San Pedro de Atacama – Moon Valley – Death Valley – San Pedro de Atacama

In the afternoon, our tour will continue at 4:00pm towards the Cordillera of Salt. This mountain range was formed millions of years ago. Due to a continuous exposure to the rain, the wind and the sun, it has developed into a geological phenomenon full of impressive natural formations. From a viewing point, you can enjoy views over this cliffy and rough landscape made of salt and adobe.

We will move on to one of the most beautiful natural sceneries in the world, the Moon Valley. The valley is located 4km west of San Pedro de Atacama. Discover the enormous sand dunes and the undeniable beauty of this place, surrounded by small mountains and geological formations that have been created by the wind.

After appreciating this exceptional place, we will visit the neighboring Death Valley. This valley is another attraction of the driest desert in the world and its mystical ambience is simply indescribable. We will get to the surprising salt statues known as “Las tres Marias” (“The three Marys”). They were formed out of adobe and salt, and are one of the most symbolic formations of San Pedro. On a short hike of about 30 minutes, we reach the so-called salt caves.

To end the day, we will watch the fascinating desert sunset from the Great Dune in the Moon Valley. The beauty of the rough landscape, the intense colors, the sound of the wind, and the sun setting on the horizon is an unforgettable sight. We will return to San Pedro around 8:00pm.

Departure at 8:00am. Today’s drive takes us through the driest desert in the world, where we can appreciate all its impressive majesty and beauty. Our destination is Pica, a precious oasis in the middle of the desert. To get there, we will pass one of the most important archaeological heritages of the zone, the Geoglyphs Pintados. These geoglyphs are unique in this part of the world and include about 400 figures painted in 66 panels that represent humans, animals, birds and abstract paintings.

Afterward, we are going to cross the National Reserve of the Pampa of Tamarugal, one of the biggest forests in the Atacama Desert. The reserve includes more than 24 thousand hectare of artificial plantations of Tamarugo and is surrounded by various salt lakes. If you are lucky, you can spot some reptiles that adapted to the climate and are able to survive the dryness and the heat of the desert.

Also, we will be visiting the village of Quillagua, a small oasis located at the shore of the river Loa. Here, you will find a church, a train station, and the old customs building. According to the National Geographic, Quillagua qualifies as the most arid place in the world.

Finally, after enjoying these incredible landscapes and learning about the desert cultures, we will reach Pica.

We depart from Pica in the morning. Our next stop is one of the most impressive nitrate mines of Chile. The offices of Santiago Humberstone and Santa Laura were constructed in the middle of the driest desert in the world and were declared World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO in 2005. Theses ghost towns have been converted to a tourist attraction visited by hundreds of people every year. Rust and ruins symbolize the beauty, remoteness and silence of these ex-nitrate-mines.

Leaving behind these ghost towns we arrive in Huara, a place with excellent climatic and geographic conditions that convert it to a paradise for adventure- and eco-tourism. Here, we will have lunch.

Afterward, 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. Also, we are going to visit Chusmiza, a paradise at 3.200m above sea level surrounded by idyllic nature. 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 at an altitude of more than 3.700m. Finally we will get to the village of Colchane, located at 212km from Iquique at an altitude of 3.730m in the highlands. Dinner and accommodation.

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 sixth 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.