SAN PEDRO, MOON VALLEY, HIGHLAND LAGOONS, SALT LAKE TARA AND GEYSERS (4 days / 3 nights)
DAY 1
Airport Calama - San Pedro de Atacama - Moon Valley.
Arrival at the airport of Calama, transfer to San pedro de Atacama, acommodation in your hotel.
Afternoon: Moon Valley.
Departure from the hotel at 16:00 hrs to enjoy a panoramic view over the Cordillera of the Andes, the Great Salt Lake of the Atacama, the Oasis of San Pedro and the Salt Cordillera. From here you visit the Death Valley (also called Mars Valley), exploring its labyrinths and canyons on an easy hike of about 35 minutes. After a stop at the Salt Caves, where you can appreciate the structures of salt, gypsum and clay, you continue to the Moon Valley. Here you will visit the Amphitheater, the Three Marias and finish the day with an impressive view over the Andes. You return to San Pedro around 20:00 hrs. approximately.
DAY 2
Highland Lagoons - Salt Lake Atacama - Piedras Rojas.
Departure from your hotel between 07:00 and 07:30 am. You leave San Pedro de Atacama to go south and border the Salt Lake of the Atacama to visit Tambillo, the village of Toconaowith its colonial church and the old fruit gardens. From there you move on to the Great Salt Lake Atacama, the third biggest in the world and the one with the highest Lithium production on earth. Also, you visit the Lagoon Chaxa, part of the Flamingo National Reserve. The excursion continues to the Highland lagoons Miscanti and Meñiques, located over 3.500m over sea level and surrounded by the mountains of the Andes. It is one of the few places where you can find the Horned Tagua, among many other species of birds and mammals like the Andean Fox and the Vicuña. You will travel along the international route leading to Argentina to visit the Salt Lake Talar and Piedras Rojas. After a picnic lunch you return to San Pedro where you arrive around 18:00 hrs.
DAY 3
Salt Lake Tara - Monks of Pacana.
Pick up from your hotel between 08:00 and 08:30 hrs. to start your excursion along the international route towards Jama. You will pass Lincancabur and cross the Andes mountains. On the way, you will stop at the wetlands of Quepiaco which is inhabited by numerous different bird species. Then you visit the Monks of Pacana (impressive stone columns that stand in the middle of the desert) and continue towards the Salt Lake of Tara (part of the National reserve Los Flamencos). Located at 4.300m over sea level, this salt lake is surrounded by volcanos, rivers and lagoons. On their borders, you can often see herds of llamas. The lagoon of the salt lake has a surface of 3 to 25 km² depending on the time of the year. It receives most water from the river Zapaleri which originates in Bolivia and creates habitat for flamingos, guallatas, ducks, vizcachas, foxes and vicuñas. If you are lucky, you can also spot ñandú, a type of ostrich, or other indigenous animal species. After lunch, you return to San Pedro de Atacama passing the Salt Lake of Aguas Calientes. You will be back around 17:00hrs.
DAY 4
Tatio Geyser - Airport of Calama.
Departure at 04:30 am northwards. You cross the hills and mountains of the Cordillera of the Andes to get to the Tatio Geysers after about 1,5 hours. They are located 89km from San Pedro at an altitude of 4.230m over sea level. The geothermic field consists of more than 80 active geysers of different magnitudes and should be visited very early in the morning when the water shoots with high intensity. The high difference between water temperature and atmospheric temperature at sunrise causes a fascinating condensation of the steam. In summer, the atmospheric temperature reaches about - 6ºC and in Winter it can reach -20 ºC. You will have time to visit different geysers and steam columns and you can to take a bath in the natural thermal pool. After breakfast with an exciting view over the geysers we return to San Pedro passing the village of Machuca. Arrival approximately at 12:00 hrs in San Pedro.
At the scheduled time, we realize the transfer from San Pedro de Atacama to the airport of Calama.
DAY 1 |
Airport Calama - San Pedro de Atacama - Moon Valley. |
Arrival at the airport of Calama, transfer to San pedro de Atacama, acommodation in your hotel.
Afternoon: Moon Valley.
Departure from the hotel at 16:00 hrs to enjoy a panoramic view over the Cordillera of the Andes, the Great Salt Lake of the Atacama, the Oasis of San Pedro and the Salt Cordillera. From here you visit the Death Valley (also called Mars Valley), exploring its labyrinths and canyons on an easy hike of about 35 minutes. After a stop at the Salt Caves, where you can appreciate the structures of salt, gypsum and clay, you continue to the Moon Valley. Here you will visit the Amphitheater, the Three Marias and finish the day with an impressive view over the Andes. You return to San Pedro around 20:00 hrs. approximately.
DAY 2 |
Highland Lagoons - Salt Lake Atacama - Piedras Rojas. |
Departure from your hotel between 07:00 and 07:30 am. You leave San Pedro de Atacama to go south and border the Salt Lake of the Atacama to visit Tambillo, the village of Toconaowith its colonial church and the old fruit gardens. From there you move on to the Great Salt Lake Atacama, the third biggest in the world and the one with the highest Lithium production on earth. Also, you visit the Lagoon Chaxa, part of the Flamingo National Reserve. The excursion continues to the Highland lagoons Miscanti and Meñiques, located over 3.500m over sea level and surrounded by the mountains of the Andes. It is one of the few places where you can find the Horned Tagua, among many other species of birds and mammals like the Andean Fox and the Vicuña. You will travel along the international route leading to Argentina to visit the Salt Lake Talar and Piedras Rojas. After a picnic lunch you return to San Pedro where you arrive around 18:00 hrs.
DAY 3 |
Salt Lake Tara - Monks of Pacana. |
Pick up from your hotel between 08:00 and 08:30 hrs. to start your excursion along the international route towards Jama. You will pass Lincancabur and cross the Andes mountains. On the way, you will stop at the wetlands of Quepiaco which is inhabited by numerous different bird species. Then you visit the Monks of Pacana (impressive stone columns that stand in the middle of the desert) and continue towards the Salt Lake of Tara (part of the National reserve Los Flamencos). Located at 4.300m over sea level, this salt lake is surrounded by volcanos, rivers and lagoons. On their borders, you can often see herds of llamas. The lagoon of the salt lake has a surface of 3 to 25 km² depending on the time of the year. It receives most water from the river Zapaleri which originates in Bolivia and creates habitat for flamingos, guallatas, ducks, vizcachas, foxes and vicuñas. If you are lucky, you can also spot ñandú, a type of ostrich, or other indigenous animal species. After lunch, you return to San Pedro de Atacama passing the Salt Lake of Aguas Calientes. You will be back around 17:00hrs.
DAY 4 |
Tatio Geyser - Airport of Calama. |
Departure at 04:30 am northwards. You cross the hills and mountains of the Cordillera of the Andes to get to the Tatio Geysers after about 1,5 hours. They are located 89km from San Pedro at an altitude of 4.230m over sea level. The geothermic field consists of more than 80 active geysers of different magnitudes and should be visited very early in the morning when the water shoots with high intensity. The high difference between water temperature and atmospheric temperature at sunrise causes a fascinating condensation of the steam. In summer, the atmospheric temperature reaches about - 6ºC and in Winter it can reach -20 ºC. You will have time to visit different geysers and steam columns and you can to take a bath in the natural thermal pool. After breakfast with an exciting view over the geysers we return to San Pedro passing the village of Machuca. Arrival approximately at 12:00 hrs in San Pedro.
At the scheduled time, we realize the transfer from San Pedro de Atacama to the airport of Calama.