1st day: Arica – Putre
The tour starts at 10:30 a.m. with a visit to the Terminal
Agropecuario (agrarian market) of Arica where you can experience a
typical market atmosphere. Then we enter the Azapa-Valley, view
the Geoglyph La Tropilla and visit the archeological Museum San
Miguel de Azapa. On our way to the Lluta-Valley you have the
opportunity to enjoy the panoramic view over both valleys. After a
lunch break in the ecological community Ecotruly, our tour leads
us to the Cactus Candelabro and the magnetic zone as well as to a
pre-Inca fortress in Copaquilla. We conclude the trip with an one-hour
walking-tour to Socoroma, a traditional village in the
Precordillera at 3000 m altitude, where we take a rest with coffee
and cookies before continuing our trip to Putre. Arrival at Putre
at approximately 6:30 p.m. Dinner and accomodation.
2nd day: Putre – National Park Lauca – Putre
Our second day starts at about 8:30 a.m. Either
we have breakfast in Putre or in Bofedal de las Cuevas where we do
a 40-minutes walk. During this walk you have the chance to see
wild animals like Vicuñas and Vizcachas and get to know bofedales,
the basis of the altiplanic ecosystem (viewpoint Bofedal de
Parinacota). Furthermore you have the chance to admire a variety
of birds like Pitios del Norte, Guallatas and Taguas for example.
Around noon we arrive at the crystalline Lake Chungara (4510 m
above sea level) and the lagoons of Cotacotani where we offer an
optional 3-hour walking-tour for you to observe both Andean flora
and fauna. After visiting the village of Parinacota with its
typical 17th century church and a picnic – lunch, we enjoy a
relaxing bath in the Jurasi hot springs before returning to Putre
at about 6:00 p.m. Dinner and accommodation.
3rd day: Putre – Salt lake Salar de Surire
After breakfast in Putre we visit Ancuta and Guallatire,
two villages located at the foot of the active volcano Guallatire in the altiplano (4000 m altitude). At about noon we arrive at the salt
lake Salar de Surire and visit Chilcaya where we give you the opportunity
to take pictures of the flora and fauna during an one-hour walking-trip
around this natural monument. Afterwards we head for the hot springs of Polloquere at 4270 m altitude where we have a picnic and enjoy a
relaxing bath. Accommodation in the Refugio de CONAF.
Dinner.
4th day: Salt lake Salar de Surire –
National Park Volcano Isluga – Enquelga – Colchane
Breakfast in front of the Salt lake Salar de
Surire at the CONAF Refugio. Afterwards we’re driving through the National Park Volcano Isluga,
crossing the Altiplano through pampas and bofedales observing the scarces flora and fauna. Further on
we are heading towards the village Isluga with its famous church.
You will be able to take some pictures. Aprox. at 5:00 p.m. we arrive
in Colchane.
Dinner and accommodation.
5th day: Colchane – Humberstone – Huara –
Pica
After breakfast at 8:00 a.m. our first stop will
be at the legendary and gigantic cacti at the Río Grande.
After that we’re going to the village of
Cariquima which is famous for
its traditional needlework. You will be able to experience the life of the
locals. Further on our journey takes us through several canyons, for
example Quebrada de la Felicidad. There we have a few stops at
selected lookout-points like Chuzmiza
and Pachica where you will be able to take some pictures. Pachica is also the entrance to the desert of Atacama. You
will be able to discover the changes in the landscape. Also in the desert you admire the geoglyph Gigante de Atacama, the
largest archaeological human represantion of the world (86 m high). Lunch in Huara.
Afterwards we discover the ghosttowns of
Humberstone and Santa Laura.
Humberstone used to be a nitrate mining town which was abandoned in
the 1960s. From there we head to Pica and arrive at about
6:00 p.m. Dinner and accommodation.
6th day: Pica – Geoglyphs de Pintados –
Quillagua – San Pedro de Atacama
After breakfast in Pica (1325 m) we walk to the Cocha de Resbaladero.
It is one of the biggest water sources of the Atacama Desert.
The water is famous for its healing abilities. After a relaxing bath we are heading to the Geoglyphs de Pintados. There you will get the unique chance to see about
400 figures representing humans, animals, birds and abstract
paintings which were made by humans aprox. 800 years ago. We leave
this place crossing the
National Reserva Pampa del Tamarugal arriving at the small village Quillagua,
an oasis next to the river Loa.
There we pass customs. After that we are driving through
the desert to get to San
Pedro the Atacama.
7th day: San Pedro de Atacama – Saltflat
Salar de Atacama – Altiplanic Lagoons – San Pedro de Atacama
Breakfast at the hotel. We leave San Pedro de Atacama at 8:30 a.m. We are heading towards
the village of
Toconao which is an oasis at
the edge of the saltflat of Atacama. From there we are going to Socaire (3218
m) which will lead us to
altiplanic lagoons of Miscanti and Meñiques at 4350 m in the Reserva Nacional los Flamencos.
After having lunch in Socaire
we are descending to the edge
of the Atacama saltflat where we finally reach the lagoons of Chaxa which are famous for their flamingo populations. Return to the hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.
Dinner and accommodation.
8th day: San Pedro de Atacama – Pukara de
Quitor – Tulor – Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna) – San Pedro de Atacama
Breakfast at the hotel. We leave San Pedro de Atacama at 8:30 a.m. and head towards the Pukara de Quitor,
an impressing Atacama fortress of the 12th
century. Afterwards we stop
at the village of
Tulor, the oldest village of
the saltflat (800 b.c.). Back in San Pedro we visit the Padre Le Paige museum,
one of the most important museums in the northern region. Lunch in San Pedro.
In the afternoon we leave San Pedro approximately at
4:00 p.m. heading for the Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna), situated in the Cordillera de la Sal,
where we take a walk in salt canyons. Finally we watch the fascinating colors appearing during
sunset from a sand dune of 500 m height before returning to the hotel
in San Pedro.
Dinner and accommodation.
