Discover Antofagasta
San Pedro de Atacama is the gateway to the desert — a small, laid-back town of adobe houses, a pretty white colonial church, and a single dusty main street lined with tour agencies, restaurants and hostels, set in an oasis on the edge of the world's third-largest salt flat. It's the base from which almost every Atacama excursion departs. The nearest and most popular is the Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), a protected reserve of bizarre eroded landforms — salt mountains that crackle audibly, sculpted clay ridges, sand dunes and a great amphitheatre — where crowds gather at sunset to watch the rock glow through reds, oranges and purples as the Licancabur volcano stands sentinel. Nearby lie the Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley) with its sandboarding dunes, and ancient sites like the Pukará de Quitor fortress and the Tulor village. With its altitude (2,400 m) and crisp, dry air, San Pedro is a place to slow down, acclimatise and plan your desert adventures.
Travel Types
San Pedro de Atacama, the Moon Valley, sand dunes and the surreal scenery of the driest desert on earth.
The dawn El Tatio geysers, the flamingo lagoons of the Salar de Atacama and the altiplano lakes.
The clearest night skies on the planet, astronomy tours and the ALMA and Paranal observatories.
The port city of Antofagasta, the La Portada arch, the Mano del Desierto and the copper mines.
Fly to Calama (airport code CJC), about an hour and a half from San Pedro de Atacama by road, with frequent flights from Santiago; transfers and buses connect to San Pedro. The town is the base for all desert excursions, which are mostly done as half- or full-day tours by agency, given the altitude, distances and rough roads. Allow several days to take in the main sights — the Moon Valley, geysers, salt flats and stargazing — at a comfortable, acclimatised pace.
Yes, take it seriously. San Pedro sits at 2,400 m and excursions climb much higher — the El Tatio geysers are above 4,300 m and the altiplano lakes higher still. Spend your first day or two taking it easy to acclimatise, drink plenty of water, go gently on alcohol, and save the highest trips for later in your stay. Days are warm and intensely sunny (high-factor sunscreen, hat and sunglasses essential) while nights and dawn excursions are very cold, so pack warm layers.
Its high altitude, extreme dryness (it's the driest non-polar desert on earth), clear air and lack of light pollution combine to give some of the clearest, darkest skies on the planet — which is why the world's most powerful observatories, ALMA and Paranal, are based here. Astronomy tours from San Pedro set up telescopes for spectacular views of the southern sky, the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds. Cloudless nights are the norm, making it one of the world's premier stargazing destinations.