Chile : Tours : Discovering San Pedro de Atacama

From Calama, discover rupestrian art, the Hierba Buena petroglyphs, and San Pedro de Atacama, one of the most significant hubs of Andean culture and of archaeological treasures, which we will find in the Padre Le Paige Archaeological Museum. It is a town that has preserved all its primitive magic, taken over in 1450 by the Incas and incorporated into the Hispanic culture in 1536. The church built of adobe and the roof with shingles from giant cactus plants is the main attraction. The Calama Park Hotel has created a new service concept: Atacama Park Adventure, inviting you to experience the mysticism of Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), a spectacular landscape among the Salt Mountain Chain. This small valley of saline soil, exhibits intriguing sculpture-like shapes, result of successive transformations due to the geologic folds that are produced from the marshy bottom layer of the salt bed.

Day 01 Airport/ San Pedro de Atacama / Valle de la Luna
Arrival and shuttle to San Pedro de Atacama from the airport or Calama Bus Terminal.
At 16:00 hrs, leave from the hotel to the Valle de la Luna. Photographic stop in the way from Calama to San Pedro to view the Cordillera de la Sal (Salt Range) from the sightseeing spot. Visit to the Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley), and then in the Valle de la Luna, we will visit the salt statues "Las Tres Marías", the salt mine and watch the beautiful sunset from a big sand dune. Return to the hotel. Accommodations in the hotel.

Day 02 Tatio Geysers / Atacama Saltflat and Toconao town.
Leave the hotel at 4:00 AM, arriving to Tatio Geyser (4320 masl) at 07:00 AM. Breakfast and a hike through the different geysers where you may to take a dip in a thermal water pool. Back to San Pedro (in the journey back we will have a chance to take pictures of the different landscapes).
During the afternoon, we will head to the Atacama Saltflat. Arrival to Toconao. Visit the town (30 minutes). We will visit the Liparita stone quarry and Valle del Jerez. Back on track to Atacama Saltflat, we will arrive to Laguna Chaxa, to watch the flamingos and wait for the sunset.
Accommodations in the hotel.

Included Excursions

San Pedro de Atacama
Considered the Archaeological Capital of Chile and declared a Zona Típica (Typical Zone). It was the heart of the Atacama or Likanantai culture, with a fortress in Quitor and a population, divided into "ayllos" (tiny villages), that distributed the farmland among them and channeled water from the Río Grande. Later on, the area was taken over by the Incas and an Administrative Center and government were established. Diego de Almagro visited the area during the time of its discovery as well as Pedro de Valdivia in the years of the Spanish Conquest. It is a humble town with narrow streets and adobe constructions. The main attractions are the Church and the Padre Le Paige Archaeological Museum, jesuit missionary that lived in the region from 1955 until he passed away in 1980. Some of the highlights within the town are the ceramic objects from different evolutionary stages, gold figures, and mummies.

Valle de la Luna
Spectacular lunar landscape that is part of the Salt Mountain Chain and belongs to Los Flamencos National Reserve. It is a small depression of saline soil, 500 m (1,640 ft) in diameter, and displays intriguing sculptured shapes that are a result of the successive transformations of the earth's crust, occurrences from folds in the salt bed's marshy interior. There is no sign of life in this corner of the world, nor is their humidity. These characteristics combined make this the most barren place on the planet.

Tatio Geysers
In the middle of a breathtaking and arid landscape, the Tatio Geysers is a geothermal field of volcanic origin, where water and vapor erupt violently from the depths of the Earth. They are located more than 4,000 m (13,120 ft) above sea level, which contributes to the low temperatures during the morning hours, time of day when the fountains of boiling water shoot up. The geysers are at their peak between 5:30 and 7:00 in the morning, when spouts can easily reach 10 meters (33 ft). There are natural thermal pools nearby where one can enjoy a hot bath.

Atacama Salar
The Atacama Salar it's the second salt marsh in the country. It's in the middle of a fantastic natural landscape and it has an impressive geology with important archaeological vestiges. The Atacama Salar also allows the flora and fauna contemplation, with lagoons in its surroundings. The avifauna includes pink flamencos in the high cordillera.

Toconao
Toconao is a must-see destination because of the constructions made of volcanic rocks. The town is the perfect place for those who enjoy the singular attractions of the zone, among which you can find the church, the main square and the San Lucas Camp. Agriculture and handmade crafts are the main work activities.

Chaxas Lagoon
It is one of the countless lagoons that make up the hydro system of the Los Flamencos National Reserve, and it is the nesting place of these flamencos.

The Program Includes

• Shuttle Airport- Hotel in San Pedro .
• Valle de la Luna.
• Tatio Geyser - Machuca - San Pedro (Or Puritama).
• San Pedro - Toconao - Chaxa - Atacama Saltflat
• Shuttle San Pedro - Calama Airport.
• 2 nights in the selected hotel with breakfast included.

Notes

• Entrance fee to parks are NOT included, except if the program specifies it ( can be changed without notice and affect the value of the excursions)
• Bilingual tourist guide in Standard Service
• Tourist guide could be selected in Private Service
• Reservations and cancelations must be made 48 hours in advance
• 50% fee is charged in case of NO SHOW.
• Youngsters from 0 to 6 years old pay 65% of the total fare, 7 or more pay full rate
• Full day tours include breakfast, box-lunch, fruits and beverage.

Suggestions

• Warm clothing (night), light clothing (day), sun screen and flashlights.

Rates

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Cancellation Policy

Once the reservation has been confirmed by Gotolatin, the following charges will apply for cancellations made by the passenger, according to the program departure date:

• Between 45 and 30 working days before the beginning of the program
  30% of total program value per passenger.
• Between 30 and 15 working days before the beginning of the program
  60% of total program value per passenger.
• Between 15 and 0 working days before the beginning of the program
  No refund.
• There are no refunds for portions of the program not used, hotel accommodations, etc.
• We recommend considering Travel Insurance for any reason.