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Traveling with Atlas Obscura amid COVID-19 How We’re Adapting Our Trips Destination Requirements (via Embassy Pages)Join us on this thrilling exploration of Chile’s famed Atacama Desert. We’ll discover a land built from violent geologic processes that have left a landscape of volcanic and geothermal features, great salt flats, and salty lakes, where indigenous people carve out a living in this unforgiving environment. Nature has provided a vast playground where we will explore the high altiplano together with our expert local guide. On foot, by bicycle, or by car we will find some amazing rock formations, scenic vistas, lunar landscapes, and the unique communities and wildlife that call this place home. Focusing on the lesser-known B Sides of the Atacama catalog, we will venture deep into the heart of the desert in our own tented camp, to experience the silence and incredible night skies that can be found far from civilization. We’ll conclude our trip on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, exploring ghost saltpeter mining towns and ancient geoglyphs.
Upon your flight arrival to Calama, you will be met and transferred to the hotel in San Pedro de Atacama. The group will meet in the hotel in the late afternoon for an orientation and a cocktail before dinner. Situated on the main street of San Pedro de Atacama, our hotel is a short walk from the main square and the most celebrated restaurants in the area. The architecture was inspired by pre-Hispanic Atacameño buildings and is built on walkways to preserve the flood irrigation system and the ancient herb, fruit, and tree orchard that has existed here for centuries. While in the Atacama, we are encouraged to look at the desert and contemplate four main landscapes and their colors: the Atacama Salt Flat, the Salt Mountain Range, the Sarapana or Domeyko Mountain Range, and the Andes Mountain Range. Each day our tour leader will lead our group on an exciting excursion. From cultural and archaeologic discovery to astronomical observations, leisurely walks to more adventurous hiking and cycling excursions, salt flats, and geysers to incredible hidden desert valleys, the experiences are endless and magical.
Hotel Desertica, San Pedro de Atacama
Dinner
This morning we will get our hands dirty with an incredible ancestral pottery workshop led by ceramics artist, Barbara Tatane. We will get to know the potter, her work, her history, and the story of Atacama. We may each produce a vessel with the ancestral techniques of hand modeling, gaining an understanding of how the early inhabitants of this area crafted their potter. Following that, we might venture into the Valley of the Moon, a sanctuary of nature and geology. Here we find spectacular geological formations created through the conflicting pressures of the Andes and the Cordillera de Domeyko. The absence of plants and animal life and the lack of moisture make it the most inhospitable place on earth, but it also has the most breathtaking and iconic views in the entire region. Alternatively, we might go hiking to a lookout point at Catarpe with an amazing view across the Tambo Valley, a vantage point showing off the surrounding hills, farmland, and pastures. Another potential destination is Puritama hot springs, at an elevation of nearly 11,500 feet, it is a series of eight large pools of geothermal spring water, connected by wooden walkways. We find a paradise in which to enjoy and soak in the unique warm waters that range in temperature from 75ºF to 90ºF.
Hotel Desertica, San Pedro de Atacama
Breakfast, Lunch
This morning we check out from our hotel and visit the salt-heavy Cejar Lagoon where we enjoy a soak in the lagoon. We then head north, passing through Machuca, a unique traditional village at an elevation of over 13,000 feet previously used by local shepherds but now mostly uninhabited. After a picnic lunch in the village of Caspana, we set off on an afternoon hike that will lead us into our Extraordinary Atacama Camp. Extraordinary Atacama is an experience that integrates nature, culture, adventure, the night skies. It’s a way of getting to know the off-the-beaten side of Atacama and also immersing in the local community. A glamping experience in a pristine environment in the middle of the desert, set up privately for us and expertly hosted. We’ll venture into the desert at our own rhythm and pace. This evening we have a very special desert culinary experience. With a tailor-made menu and welcomed in by the melody of a stringed instrument, our dining will become a silent and spiritual experience in which we contemplate the immensity of the desert while tasting some Chilean delicacies and local wines. We then settle into our comfortable tents and a peaceful evening of phenomenal stargazing.
Extraordinary Atacama Tented Camp
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we make an excursion to the Tatio Geysers, a geothermal field sitting at 14,176 feet (4321 m) above sea level. We explore this incredible area consisting of large pools of boiling water and mud, geysers, fumaroles, and natural hot springs. Returning to our desert camp this afternoon, we will be joined by a professional astronomer and nightscape photographer for an unforgettable photography and stargazing experience. The beauty of the night sky has always been a source of fascination and inspiration for generations of people. Our planet is embraced by one sky of endless beauties, an eternal roof above symbols of all nations and religions, attesting to the unified nature of Earth and mankind. The sky connects us through time and space, takes us back to our roots, and shows us our future. This experience is an invitation to connect with the richness of our world and learn about astrophotography.
Extraordinary Atacama Tented Camp
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We’ll get an early start today to begin our five-hour drive across along the Panamerican Highway across the Atacama desert to the oasis of Pica. After lunch and a rest at a lovely ecolodge, we’ll visit an extraordinary example of 1000+ year old geoglyphs at Cerro Pintados which once served as guideposts between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean for caravans crossing the Atacama Desert. The giant symbols, the largest collection of its kind in South America, are easily visible on the arid mountainside. This afternoon we’ll be offered a choice of a 45-minute descent on “fat bikes” through Pica’s dune field or a therapeutic soak in the Cocha Resbaladero hot springs. For dinner tonight we’ll be treated to an intimate farm-to-table dining experience and a lesson on preparing the popular pisco sour cocktail.
Resort Santa Rosa or similar, Pica
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we make our way from the dry desert to the refreshing coastal breezes of the Pacific Ocean. On our way we have two incredible stops; the first is to take in the grandeur of the Atacama Giant, a massive geoglyph on the side of Cerro Unitas that researchers believe was a prehistoric astronomical calendar. We’ll next visit the ghost town of Humberstone, the largest of Chile’s abandoned nitrate towns. Until the early 1900s, northern Chile was mined for its valuable saltpeter - or Sodium nitrate - resources, which were valued as a fertilizer and an explosive. These mining towns were abandoned once ammonia was sythesized in a lab in the 1920s and are now falling to ruin in the harsh conditions of the Atacama Desert. We continue on to the coastal port city of Iquique, where the desert sand dunes collide with the vast Pacific Ocean, for a relaxed dinner and overnight.
Hotel Terrado Cavancha or similar, Iquique
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we wander through Iquique’s historic city center, made prosperous in the saltpeter mining days of the nineteenth century and now a beach holiday destination. The city is surrounded by cliffs and an urban sand dune called “Cerro Dragon”. We’ll see the seafood market and sea lion hub of Caleta Riquelme and visit the Museo Regional de Tarapacá (MAR), the Regional Museum of Iquique. The museum houses the Chinchorro mummies that, at 8000 years old, are the oldest artificially preserved mummies in the world along with a history of the nitrate industry. Work on a new museum designed by Studio Libeskind was slated to begin in 2020 based on a design inspired by the city’s “Cerro Dragon” entitled ‘El Dragon de Tarapacá’. This afternoon we have the option to enjoy the beach or take a sailboat cruise through Iquique’s bay.
Hotel Terrado Cavancha or similar, Iquique
Breakfast, Lunch
It’s time to say farewell to this extraordinary region and its rich culture. We’ll help you transfer to the Iquique airport for your departing flight. Head homeward or on to your next destination—or, if you'd like, spend a few more days exploring Chile. Until the next adventure!
Breakfast
The listed price of this trip is per person based on double occupancy.
You’re in good company. Solo travelers typically make up about half of our small groups. With curiosity at the center of our experiences, there’s a natural camaraderie that develops over the course of a trip. We have two options for you:
Shared Room (subject to the latest Covid-19 guidelines): You'll be matched with another solo traveler of the same gender.
Private Room: Have your own room, subject to availability, for a supplemental cost of $1410. After booking your trip, please request a private room when you fill out your traveler information form and we’ll add the option to your booking and final balance.
You should plan to arrive in Calama before 5:00 p.m. on Day 1. Airlines offer multiple flight options daily between Santiago and Calama. An arrival transfer to San Pedro de Atacama will be arranged by Hotel Desertica to meet your arriving flight. Our tour concludes on Day 8 with a transfer to the Iquique airport for your departure flight.
Travelers should feel comfortable walking two to four miles over the course of each day, remaining on their feet for long periods of time, and walking on uneven terrain. The Atacama Desert sits at an elevation of 7900 feet and some optional excursions take place at high elevations (e.g. Tatio geyser field is over 14,000 feet). Our daily program is flexible to be revised depending on the health and energy of the group.
On this journey, we will be staying in comfortable hotels and a well-equipped luxury tented camp. At Extraordinary Atacama, tents are furnished with real beds and the camp is set up with fully-equipped bathrooms - one for every three tents - with hot water.
Your participation in this trip provides significant financial contributions to the communities we visit, directly supporting small businesses, schools, villages, and local families. In addition, this trip's focus on traditional customs will help to preserve and maintain them for future generations.
Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated, though in most cases ingredients can't be substituted or omitted from particular dishes. If you have a severe allergy, please contact us to find out if this is the right trip for you.
U.S. passport holders do not require a visa for travel to Chile, but this may vary depending on traveler citizenship. Please check requirements for travel to Argentina and any countries passed through in transit. A passport is required for international travel. We recommend your passport expire at least six months after your return home.
The CDC recommends all travelers be up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip. Please check these recommendations and discuss them with your doctor.