My Complete Guide to The Atacama Desert

How to spend 10 days on another planet.

The road to San Pedro de Atacama

About the Atacama Desert

The Atacama is the driest, highest desert in the world at over 2000m above sea level. It is located in the Northern part of Chile and technically some arid areas even stretch out as far as Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. In some parts, there is a complete lack of life and the terrain is therefore used to test equipment deployed in Mars missions! Not only is it famous for its extra-terrestrial landscape and rock formations, but also for its unimaginable night skies, which are some of the best in the world due to a lack of light pollution, excellent air quality and 300+ nights of clear skies a year.

! Altitude Sickness !

SAFETY NOTE! The main town of San Pedro de Atacama is at 2408m above sea level. Unless you are slowly overlanding toward the town, we recommend you take a few days to adjust to the altitude. Altitude Sickness is very common when visiting and in some cases, can be serious. If you have pre-existing conditions, speak to your doctor before visiting. For mild cases, you may find Coca Tea very helpful (we did!) and whilst illegal in some countries, it is legal and very commonly used in Chile. Coca leaves come from the cocaine plant but do not cause you to become high. They can easily be found in the markets at San Pedro de Atacama. We bought a small bag for £1, infused a few leaves in hot water and found it helped massively with the breathlessness, headaches and nausea we got at the extreme altitudes of El Tatio Geysers and Los Flamencos Nacional Parque.

Piedras Rojas, San Pedro de Atacama (3950masl)

How to get there

By Car

If, like us, you are overlanding South America you can easily access San Pedro de Atacama (not to be confused with San Pedro!) via the Pan-American Highway (Ruta 5), the Ruta 25 and the Ruta 23 from Calama, only 4 hours east of Antofagasta. The roads are surprisingly enjoyable despite the extreme weather conditions, with most of them being paved. Be warned that a few, like the paths to the lagoons, El Tatio geysers (quite possible the worst road we've ever driven on) and Nevado Tres Cruces just outside of San Pedro de Atacama are choc-a-bloc with washboard and ripio tracks. Frequent pot holes can be a motorcyclists nightmare too.

By Public Transport

Whilst we don't have much experience using the public transport in Chile, we constantly saw a stream of coaches going from Santiago to Antofagasta and San Pedro de Atacama. It is a very popular, touristic hub of Chile so you won't struggle to find a bus that will take you there. Just be aware that it is a long drive (18 hours from Santiago) and the desert can be extremely dry and hot, so bring plenty of water and food. Coaches are relatively cheap, usually contain toilets (and will make stops if they don't) and are often very comfortable! It's worth splashing out a few more pennies for a proper coach with air conditioning instead of a minibus, trust us. Alternatively you can also fly to Antofagasta or Calama airport and take a 2 - 4 hour coach from there. Remember, if you fly directly to Calama you are giving your body less time to adjust to the altitude, so take more time to acclimatise before exploring.

Laguna Verde, Nevado Tres Cruces (4300masl)

Where to Stay

There are a plethora of hostels and campsites throughout San Pedro de Atacama, and it is the perfect central hub for seeing the surrounding attractions. For overlanders, iOverlander has a great number of spots for wild camping but natural water sources are hard to come by... being in the desert and all! We stayed at a spot near Alto Atacama, which even had a little stream for bathing. Around 10km out of the main town, AndesNomads is a fantastic campsite for overlanders and travellers alike. We made a lot of good friends here and would highly recommend if you're in the area!

Find out More about AndesNomads Here

Alternatively, you can search for other accommodation using the map below:

The links above are affiliated. This means that any purchases made via these earns me a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay! But does support my work, so thank you.

What to see

Where do we start!? San Pedro de Atacama is full to the brim with must-see experiences, so we recommend at least 10 days to fully enjoy everything. If you have 2-3 weeks to spare, that's even better. We spent around 12 days there and wish we had a few more. In addition, we spent a week exploring the surrounding areas which are just as, if not more, beautiful that San Pedro de Atacama itself. We'll give a special mention to these places at the end too, in case you have extra time. But for now, here's our 10 day itinerary to start you off:

Day 1 & 2

Travel to San Pedro de Atacama and acclimatise to the altitude. We cannot stress enough how important this is, but also, do not let it put you off! Jo is often quite sickly and suffers with headaches, stomach upsets... you name it, she'll get it... But after a cup of coca tea and a day to acclimatise, the Altitude Sickness really wasn't so bad. Our itinerary leaves the high-altitude stuff until last, so as long as you follow this rough guide and don't go sauntering off to the geysers on your first day, you'll be gravy.

If you are entering Chile for the first time, you may also need to quarantine in your accommodation whilst you wait for PCR results - the perfect chance to acclimatise. Our results took 24 - 48 hours so 2 days should suffice.

Day 3

Explore San Pedro town and market in the morning. Here you can buy some one-of-a-kind souvenirs for friends and family, but don't forget to get something for yourself! Be brave and haggle, but remember often in South America it is rude to haggle over the price of food. You can also buy coca leaves here - one small bag should be enough for your trip and costs around £1. There are some great food stalls, restaurants and little shops to explore too.

In the afternoon take a taxi or tour to Death/Mars Valley, then watch the sunset at Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley). I personally do not think you need a tour guide for either of these activities, but that's entirely up to you! Both Mars and Moon Valley were unfortunately closed for restorations whilst we were there but as far as I am aware, they opened again for tourism from the 1st January 2022. Check their websites to be sure. Both are actually visible from the main road so we still managed to see them, but it would definitely be worth going into both!

Each valley displays incredible rock formations and trust me, whilst that sounds rather mundane, you can't miss them. These landscapes will have you feeling like you are on another planet (or indeed, the moon...). Valle de la Luna looks absolutely spectacular bathed in warm shadows at sunset, and often attracts a big crowd of people who pull over from the road to watch. It was one of the most magical things we've seen in all of Chile.

Take care! The desert can get very hot (bring at least 2L of water per person) but also very cold, especially at such high altitudes. Bring a jumper and beanie with you for the sunset at Moon Valley - when the sun goes down, you'll notice the difference!

Valle de la Luna in the morning...

Stay for sunset to see extra-terrestrial shadows over Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna)

Day 4

Grab your swimsuit and explore the lagoons! Now, there are a lot of lagoons in the Atacama (some which even share the same name confusingly!) so it took us a while to get our heads around them. You can only swim in certain ones, and for good reason. These are really special places that are home to many flamingos, micro-organisms that can only be found in 3 places on Earth and unfortunately when humans swim in them, they become contaminated. So if you want to go swimming, consider doing your part and just do it ONCE for the experience, and observe the rest. Here's a brief breakdown of the most popular ones:

Laguna Piedra & Cejar - these lagoons are in the same park and when we visited, you were only allowed to swim in Piedra. It seems that Cejar is becoming somewhat of a haven for flamingos so swimming here is often discouraged. Either way, they are both unforgettable experiences. The salt content is so high in them that you float completely. The deep, dark blue abyss and lack of lifeguards and flotation devices at the side of the 'pool' is oddly disconcerting at first, but when you get in, you'll feel completely at ease - floating there without having to lift a finger is pure bliss!

Laguna Piedra, San Pedro de Atacama

Laguna Tebenquiche and Ojos de Salar ('Salt Lake Eyes') - these lagoons are also in the same park and as you may notice, the name 'Tebenquiche' stands out from the others. That's because this lagoon is on indigenous land (you'll see signs declaring their border) and the name has Mapuche influence. It is a little more expensive but the staff look after the site with true love. Swimming is forbidden here as the lagoon contains extra-terrestrial micro-organisms similar to those found in the meteorite crate in the gulf of Mexico. They date back past the dinosaurs and let me tell you, it's one of the most colourful and beautiful places in San Pedro de Atacama (in our humble opinion).

Laguna Tebenquiche, San Pedro de Atacama

Laguna Baltinache - we didn't feel the need to visit this lagoon as this is another one for swimming, and the roads going to it are absolutely awful. The lagoons aren't cheap and after seeing the other two, we felt like we'd had our fill, but if you fancy more, tours often visit here.

Note - the swimming lagoons typically close in the afternoon as it gets too hot. Equally, the morning can be very chilly! We found 11am a good time to go and even managed to catch a lull, so we had the entire lagoon to ourselves. You are also forbidden to use sun cream, soap or shampoo in the lagoons, but are allowed to rinse off in the cool showers after - this is why!

Salt from the Lagoons!

Day 5

Rent a bike and cycle around Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat). We missed the memo on this one and didn't rent a bike - everyone watched us walking like we were crazy! We really wished we organised a bike rental, it looked like heaps of fun and you can explore so much more. This long, winding canyon seems to go on forever, but if you're feeling adventurous you will eventually emerge after 22km of twisted nooks and crannies. This place gets unbearably hot in the afternoon so go in the morning, wear lots of sunscreen and bring at least 2L of water per person.

Devil's Throat, San Pedro de Atacama

Day 6 Take the day to relax and in the evening do an Astronomy Tour! They tend to run quite late (we were chatting until 2am!) so you could even do this on Day 5 and take Day 6 to sleep in. As we mentioned before, the starry skies are world class in the Atacama Desert. This is an absolute must-do. There are a wide range of experiences available, from £20 to £200+, with aspiring guides to knowledgeable experts, you really do get what you pay for. As we knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, we splashed out on one of the best - Atacama Desert Stargazing with Jorge, who had worked on the world renowned ALMA Telescope. He did an astronomy lesson and even astrophotography class as part of the tour. We wanted to visit the ALMA and Paranal Observatories but they were unfortunately closed due to Covid - if you get the chance, don't miss out!

To read more about our evening with Jorge, read our blog on Stargazing in the Atacama Desert here: *COMING SOON*

Stargazing in the Atacama Desert

Day 7

Rent a 4x4 and drive to Rainbow Valley, the Yerbas Buenas Petroglyphs and Rio Grande. Obviously if you are already overlanding, you won't need a rental. If you are backpacking, renting a 4x4 for a few days is a great alternative to being shoved on a coach and herded about in the heat. Treat yourself to a little freedom and take the next few days to explore the outskirts of San Pedro de Atacama at your own pace.

Rainbow Valley is a relatively new attraction (so it is still free... for now!) and features very little in blogs and tourism guides, but it was one of Lewis' favourite places. In our opinion, it is more impressive than the colours of Rainbow Mountain in Peru! A 4x4 is recommended for these roads as you have to go over some shallow water and bumpy roads, but it's doable with a 2WD and some patience. When you get there, you will be blown away by the vibrant emerald, navy, purple, silver and ochre rock formations, which look straight out of the Land of Oz. The road leading up to it is also a hot spot for llamas, donkeys and cows, so get your camera ready!

The Yerbas Buenas Petroglyphs were unfortunately closed when we visited in December but we were thankfully able to explore the ruins anyway as there are no fences. I was a little sceptical at some of the drawings but the majority of them were said to date back 10,000 years to the Atacama people, before even the first Inca civilisations. It was humbling to see how valued llamas, foxes and even condors were in their culture, and we loved reading about the power of the shamans.

Unfortunately we ran out of time for Rio Grande, but it is in the area and pictures look beautiful, so we would recommend a visit if you can squeeze it in! Bring lots of snacks and water for your journey as there are no shops at all on route.

Rainbow Valley (Valle del Arcoiris), Atacama Desert

Day 8

Rent a 4x4 and drive to Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos via the Ruta 27. I'm still divided on my opinion of this, and it's probably because we suffered an unfortunate flat tyre getting there (it has left a bitter taste to the experience!) - the roads are brilliant, we were just very unlucky. It's a very long drive, some parts of the road are arguably 'boring' with relatively mundane, flat terrain, and when we arrived in December there were very few flamingos in sight! But... I still don't regret going. Whilst some may call it boring, I still enjoyed the altiplano (high plains) of the Andes, the threatening presence of Licancabur Volcano and the washy watercolour masterpiece of the lagoon.

Alternatively, you could go South of San Pedro de Atacama down the Ruta 23 to Piedras Rojas (red rocks) and Aguas Calientes, where we arguably saw more flamingos and got a cheesy touristy photo along he Tropic of Capricorn - we even visited at midday a few days before the Summer Equinox so our shadows were almost non-existent!

Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos, Atacama Desert

Tropic of Capricorn along the Ruta 23 to Piedra Rojas, Atacama Desert

Day 9

We saved the best until last... take a guided tour to see El Tatio geysers at sunrise and Puritama hot springs in the afternoon. Do NOT rent a 4x4 and drive yourself here - the roads are AWFUL! This is a warning for seasoned overlanders too, this is easily the worst road we've driven in South America so far. The roads are steep, and deep, DEEP washboards for almost 3 hours. You may be fine if you have a 4x4 but we saw a 4 wheel drive struggle trying to go up one of the hills, so yeah, if you can avoid it... let someone else drive!

Lots of people we met insisted that we go at sunrise (6am, opening time), because the colours add a special kind of magic to the geysers... I'm not convinced. Again, perhaps we are a little bitter because the drive was so awful and we were VERY tired haha... but I think the geysers looked their best around 7:30am (this was in December). Have a look at our photos and judge for yourselves!

NOTE - the geysers are over 4000m above sea level so not only should you take it easy and bring some coca tea with you, but remember to dress warm, especially if you decide to brave it for sunrise. We were wearing thermals, joggers, hats, ski coats and gloves... Everything we owned! And Lewis' fingers still went numb! Wear whatever you can, and bring more, you can always take layers off.

El Tatio Geysers at sunrise, Atacama Desert

El Tatio Geysers a few hours after sunrise, Atacama Desert

Day 10

Begin your journey back home.

If you have time...

Exploring Nevado Tres Cruces Nacional Parque was one of our top 5 favourite moments in all of South America. Again, it does unfortunately require your own car (I've seen people rent a 4x4 and come up here themselves) and the altitude can reach almost 5000m, but like most things in life, good things come to those who work hard for it. The views are spectacular and the moment we reached the peak of one of the mountains, drove down the other side and saw the view of Tres Cruces, ooof... It will always hold a very special place in my heart. It still gives me butterflies thinking about it now.

Nevado Tres Cruces (three snowy crosses), Atacama Desert (4100masl)

If you keep driving, you'll eventually come to Laguna Santa Rosa, a beauuuuutiful reserve for flamingos. There are rangers that work and sleep in this remote part of the park for 2-3 week chunks, before heading back home for a time. They are all very friendly, speak a little English and have a small refuge where you can use WiFi, toilets and even their showers and water if you are desperate. For a small donation, they can even take a photo of you with their flamingo props, a great souvenir to take home with you.

The stunning, Laguna Santa Rosa, Nevado Tres Cruces National Park (3670masl)

I hope that you found my guide to the Atacama Desert useful for planning your next trip, and would love to hear about your adventures! Feel free to get in touch via my social media channels or email me at wherejowanders@gmail.com

Happy travels!

Love, Jo

@wherejowanders

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