Itinerary

Day 1, The Adventure Starts!

Arrival in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

 

We arrive at Calama’s Airport and drive to San Pedro de Atacama. As we drive we can appreciate the impressive rock formations of the Cordillera de la Sal, which is the entrance to one of the most special areas of Chile. Once in San Pedro we enjoy our briefing lunch, receiving a useful introduction to the trip about to start. In the afternoon we do our first hike in the silent and amazing Valle de la Luna; we walk over sand dunes until we reach the point from where we will witness a beautiful sunset, intensified by the warm color tones throughout the Valley. Then we come back to town and overnight in San Pedro.

 

 

Day 2, Trekking through San Pedro River

From San Pedro to San Bartolo, Atacama Desert, Chile

 

Once we finish the breakfast we board the van and go to the great Fortress of Quitor, which dates from the twelfth century and reveals the pre-Inca architecture in the region of Atacama. Then we start a walk to the mouth of River San Pedro, entering in the small canyons that limit its stream. As we enter the canyon our walk turns into an amphibious trek given that the path crosses the river in different spots surrounded by strange geological formations. We finally enter a small valley that we cross until arriving at the ghost town of San Bartolo, a former mining enclave, now abandoned. We camp there and tonight we will have the first sample of the amazing starry nights of Atacama.

 

 

Day 3, Exploring the Heart of Atacama

From San Bartolo to Rio Grande, Atacama Desert, Chile

 

We initiate the day with a demanding trek which will makes us gain altitude as we leave the river bed and move towards the plateau level, meanwhile we observe the abandoned mines, old and with many legends. The trail continues through the river canyon and we start watching the giant cactuses that emerge from the arid and barren desert together with other strange life forms that are based on the banks of the river. There are some areas of the valley that are so dry that scientists have not found life there yet, not even bacteria. After crossing a section of the canyon we finally arrive at Río Grande Village, one of the few original indigenous communities of Atacameño people that still remain. We camp on the banks of the river and, if we are lucky, we will get to know some of the local villagers.

 

 

Day 4, The Great Desert Ascension
From Rio Grande to Machuca, Atacama Desert, Chile

 

Today we are beginning the most challenging day of the trek in terms of physical demand. Once we finish breakfast we start trekking towards Machuca Village. The trail continues along the course of small streams that give form to narrow and beautiful valleys inhabited by native people and their herds of llamas. We continue gaining altitude as we border steep desert canyons, until we reach the awesome bofedales of Machuca, over-water grass lands full of wildlife from which we enjoy an amazing view of Licancabur Volcano, the sacred mountain of the Atacameño people. At this point we will have exceeded the 13.000ft above sea level. We camp next to a big bofedal and we dedicate our time to rest while we get acclimatized to the Altiplanic weather.

 

 

Day 5, Descent by the Altiplanic Canyons
From Machuca to Puritama, Atacama Desert, Chile

 

After a hearty breakfast we leave the bofedales of Machuca and start descending through the canyon. It will be a long journey though easier than the previous days as the terrain gradient will make ‘gravity’ support us through the complete journey. We finally arrive to the natural pools of Puritama Hot Springs, where we enjoy a marvelous bath that our body will no forget after such a great effort we did the previous days! When our body and mind are at ease we board our transfer and drive back to San Pedro.

 

 

Day 6, The Cherry of Atacama
San Pedro, Salt Flat and High Land Lagoons, Atacama, Chile

 

We get up and feel the satisfaction of having completed a challenging and wonderful trek; we have crossed the heart of Atacama with the same explorer spirit of its first inhabitants. As a reward for our efforts we will be transferred on a van to see the amazing Salar de Atacama, home of astonishing birds like the Chilean Pink Flamingos. Then we continue driving towards the “cherry” of Atacama: the marvelous Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons, plenty of turquoise waters that contrasted with the yellows of the Altiplanic lands make this place an incredible landscape. Once we are ready, we go back to San Pedro. Tonight we will have our farewell dinner, occasion to share our thoughts and feelings of the journey that we have just completed together. Surely the old Atacama Desert will now have a special space in our memories.

 

 

Day 7, Goodbye Atacama!

Departure from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

 

We take this day to relax and wander around the town, visit its handcrafts shops, church, museum, and feel the mixture between native culture and the sophisticated modernity installed by foreigners, including Chilean people from big cities who decided to leave behind ‘civilization’ and move to this place. In the afternoon we go to Calama’s Airport on time to take our flight, goodbye Atacama!

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