Trekking in the vastness of the Atacama Desert
2024
Highlights of the trip
During your stay you can enjoy the following highlights: Culture / Heritage, Faune and flora, Discovery, Adventure / Sports & Leisure.
Best times to go
The best time(s) to go is/are : Printemps, Eté, Automne, Hiver.
Petit Futé
Where to stay - Calama ?
The map of your stay "Trekking in the vastness of the Atacama Desert"
Detail of the stay : Trekking in the vastness of the Atacama Desert
How to get there - Calama
San Pedro de Atacama
Steps: Valle De La Luna
Landing at Calama Airport. Go to San Pedro de Atacama, a small town in the middle of the desert. On the road, let yourself be impressed by the "salt mountains". After a well-deserved lunch, visit the Moon Valley and take the time to admire one of the incredible sunsets, illuminated by colours from another world.
Yerbas Buenas and Arcoiris Valley
Steps: San Pedro De Atacama
San Pedro d'Atacama. Head towards the imposing fortress of Quitor and start walking towards the San Pedro river, taking the time to explore some of its many canyons. The trail crosses the river here and there and is punctuated by amazing geological formations. A perfect place to pitch a tent under the starry sky!
Trekking Río Grande
Camping, San Pedro river area. Step away from the riverbed and head for the plateau, where abandoned mines have given rise to many legends. The trail winds through a beautiful canyon and huge cacti emerge from the rock. In some places, the drought is so high that scientists have never discovered life there! In these fascinating regions is the village of Rio Grande, with an indigenous community that provides a perfect welcome for campers.
From Rio Grande to Machuca
Rio Grande. Today it is trekking is more physically demanding but the rewards are multiple. As you move towards Machuca, admire the native culture of the altiplano and observe the groups of llamas wandering peacefully through the valley. After several slopes through steep canyons, you will reach Machuca and its surprising humidity. Here, the view of the Licancabur volcano - a sacred peak for the locals - is breathtaking and the land is perfect for staying there.
Tatio's Geysers
Machuca. Early in the morning, leave for the Tatio Geysers. This landscape from another planet will impress you with its geysers that can reach more than 40 meters and geothermal fields in the middle of the cool desert morning. A 3-hour hike to an Altiplano plateau called Copa Coya will give you a unique view of Atacama and perhaps cross paths with "viscachas" (cousins of chinchillas) before you return to San Pedro.
Atacama's salar
Steps: San Pedro De Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama. Meet Chile's pink flamingos - an endemic species - by heading towards the Atacama salar. The lagoons of Miscanti and Miñiques are well worth a visit, with turquoise blue waters and gigantic mountains in the background. Something to recharge your batteries before the return!
