Top San Pedro de Atacama Day Trips: An Expert Review
Okay, so you’re heading to San Pedro de Atacama? Get ready because you are in for a treat! It’s a very special spot right in the middle of the Atacama, which is almost like another planet. Trust us, its landscapes are breathtaking! But, to actually make the most of your time there, you will need to plan some awesome day trips. This guide right here covers the top five that you simply can’t miss, providing you with some inside info to help you create some lasting memories.
1. Tatio Geysers: An Early Morning Spectacle
Alright, picture this: you get going very, very early, like way before sunrise, and drive up to the Tatio Geysers. Is that because the show is something special then? Oh yes, it really is! Situated pretty high up, around 4,320 meters (or 14,173 feet), the air gets properly nippy. I’m talking seriously chilly, so like make certain to layer up! Anyway, seeing the geysers erupt as the sun peeks over the horizon is totally magical. That early light just makes the steam sparkle. You might see some vibrant colors and the earth kinda seems to come alive. Pretty special!
It’s almost too chilly, right? Yet it’s certainly worth the early start and the cold, but also keep altitude sickness at the front of your mind. It might be smart to acclimate in San Pedro de Atacama for at least a day before heading up so high. That said, lots of tours actually include a simple breakfast near the geysers, that can take the edge off. This lets you warm up and enjoy the view without your stomach rumbling. Bring a really nice camera and fully charged batteries! You’ll be capturing photographs galore of something so different from day to day experiences.
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2. Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley): A Surreal Experience
The Moon Valley, well, it actually looks like somewhere from out of this solar system. It features some odd rock formations, big dunes, and landscapes that just seem unearthly. A lot of folks visit in the late afternoon to catch the sunset there, is that because? the colors are just amazing then! The sinking sun turns the rocks every shade of orange, pink, and purple – proper breathtaking! Some key spots you may want to keep your eye out for include:
- Las Tres Marías (The Three Marys): Oddly-shaped rock formations, yet are a bit eroded these days.
- Duna Mayor (Great Dune): Quite a big sand dune to clamber up, with amazing views from the top.
- Anfiteatro (Amphitheater): A huge, bowl-shaped area, surrounded by very tall cliffs.
Lots of tours involve a little hike through the valley and a bit of sandboarding on the dunes! Actually you’re looking to save some money, see if you are able to bike to the valley from San Pedro. However it’s quite a trek, so yeah, be ready for that!
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3. Salar de Atacama: The Largest Salt Flat in Chile
The Salar de Atacama actually stands as Chile’s biggest salt flat. Furthermore it’s seriously impressive because of its dazzling white surface that stretches way off to the horizon. Its so stunning when you’re standing there. And oh yeah, keep your peepers peeled for the flamingos! They actually chill in the Laguna Chaxa, that’s within the Salar. That’s quite a fantastic photo opp!
The area forms part of the Los Flamencos National Reserve, is that just in case you wondered why the birds are super protected. It will let you spot a couple of cool types of flamingos here, like the Andean, the James’s, and the Chilean flamingo! You get to saunter along the paths, soak up the vast views, and take a gander at the wild creatures. A day trip to the Salar de Atacama mixes stunning scenes and a peep into the region’s wildlife. Plus, you will almost certainly take a whole stack of photographs you will adore looking at for a good while. That is pretty perfect, correct?
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4. Lagunas Altiplánicas: Highland Lakes Marvel
Let’s have a quick look at the Lagunas Altiplánicas! It actually means “Highland Lakes,” and oh boy, they reside high up in the Andes. The most talked about are Laguna Miscanti and Laguna Miñiques! They are well known because of their dark blue waters, encompassed by enormous volcanoes and some gold-ish grassland. The hues and reflections you can see on calm days really makes those sights so great for photographs. You can’t really beat them!
You may very well spy a few wild animals here too, such as vicuñas and other birds, making the spot rather great for nature enthusiasts. Is it better if you visit the lagoons, say, early in the morning or later in the afternoon? That’s because you find the calmest reflections in the water at those times, actually turning the place into a huge mirror of the mountains around! Tours generally include a picnic so you can unwind and take it all in. Remember the altitude thing however, it is worth noting again, alright?
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5. Stargazing Tour: Discovering the Night Sky
Now this part’s special! Actually you see, the Atacama Desert happens to be among the very best places across the world for some serious stargazing. The sky ends up being just so crisp and pure because of how very little light pollution there is and the thin, arid air. Pretty perfect conditions! This spot forms the home to a pile of astronomy observatories and they deliver guided stargazing tours.
What can you generally do when you actually join up to one of these tours? You may want to anticipate using some huge, fancy telescopes to peek at planets, star groupings, and maybe distant galaxies. An expert will almost certainly be with you, explaining the constellations and actually filling you in with the basics about astronomy. Is that how everyone ends the trip off in a happy state then? Yes, by goodness it is! By sipping some hot cocoa under a starry night sky and that leaves everyone in great spirits, and they’re full of something great.
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Okay, San Pedro de Atacama features these super trips that exhibit exactly how stunning and otherworldly the Atacama Desert is. So make time for all of those wonders!
