Alpha Golf

hey folks -- planning a last minute trip, with a few days in Atacama plus SCL, Valp and one more destination possibly TBD. About 3 days in Atacama, 1.5 in Valp and one so far in SCL.

Any advice, particularly on Atacama (hotels, tour operators, destinations -- looks like main sights ate Valle de la Luna, Salar de Atacama, Tatio geysers)?

Also one of us has two extra days -- any suggestions, from SCL, or worth staying there longer, maybe day trips?

Appreciate any advice.

M60_to_LGA

Atacama will be pretty expensive due to its isolation. Also, expect it to be really, really cold at night - you're going in late fall.

I did a trip to the Valle de la Luna and Tatio geysers - I enjoyed the geysers far more than the valley (partly because we couldn't do much in the valley due to a sandstorm.) The Salar de Uyuni (is that what you mean?) across the border in Bolivia is supposed to be spectacular - it's my big regret that I didn't go there. If you do, make sure you get a Bolivian visa beforehand, though. When I had to get one, I got it issued on the spot at the Bolivian consulate in Van Ness.

SCL is pleasant enough, but you can probably get everything done in just a couple of days. There are some good Peruvian restaurants, decent shopping, a nice museum of pre-Columbian artifacts downtown, one of Neruda's houses.... there's certainly enough to keep you occupied, but don't expect it to be Paris or even Buenos Aires.

Siempre Viajando

If you have a "couple of extra days" and want to get out of Santiago I'd suggest renting a car and driving down to Santa Cruz, approximately three hours south of Santiago in the Colchagua valley. There's an excellent hotel on the main square (Hotel Santa Cruz) and lots to see and do in the area including wineries, an excellent museum just behind the hotel, and so on.

TrvlChic

does anyone have recommendations on where to stay in san pedro de atacama? i'm heading there in a couple weeks as a solo traveler and am looking for a relatively affordable (~150 or less/night) accommodation. also curious to hear on whether there would be safety issues with staying at a place that's on the outskirts (15-30 minute walk to town) as a solo female?

i've found a couple options that look like they may be decent. anyone have experience/thoughts on the following places?
- hotel altiplanico
- hotel iorana tolache
- hotel kimal

M60_to_LGA

Everything in SP is expensive - it's a tiny town whose only real purpose is as a tourist oasis, in the middle of nowhere where everything has to be schlepped in from far away. For under $150, though, you should be able to find something suitable - but be aware that the price/quality ratio is far higher than in most other places.

When you say "outskirts," what exactly do you mean? There aren't really outskirts - the town peters out into the driest desert on the planet. I don't really think there's anything more than a 15-minute walk away from the town plaza. If you're talking about someplace that's actually outside the built-up area, I'd be very concerned - would you do a solo, 30-minute walk down a deserted highway in Death Valley?

TrvlChic

the places i'm referring to appear to be 1.5-2km away from the center of town. given that most tours pick up at the hotel, i'm most concerned about the safety of the walk alone at night (to/from dinner etc) vs. the heat/dessert climate.

iahphx

Has anyone else done an "independent" trip to the Atacama? I'm planning a visit for next year and am beginning the process of figuring out the logistics. My two immediate questions are: 1) whether it makes much of a difference what time of the year I visit (June would be the easiest for me, but I understand it's cold at night -- does that really matter?); and 2) is there anything particularly worthwhile that I can't do as an independent traveller?

Efrem

By "independent," I assume you mean that you won't be part of an organized tour.

My wife and I spent five days (not including travel days) there in March. We arranged a few things in advance, including transfers from/to Calama airport, most of them by picking and choosing among Viator's offerings. (I have no financial or other interest in Viator; just stating a fact about what we did.) We also arranged some day trips on the spot, choosing from all of what's on offer locally. As posted, San Pedro de Atacama exists mostly for tourists, so it's not hard to find them. There are brochures in every hotel, and agencies on the main street. The outfit we used for our stargazing night, San Pedro de Atacama Celestial Explorations, has an office on the main street as well. (Same note as for Viator.)

You could also go really independent, rent cars or other transportation, and get everywhere on your own with no difficulty. I have no experience with that, though.

As for schedule: it got cool at night in March, but not really cold. This site says the average low in June is 36°F/2°C. I see no reason not to believe it. You'll be out at night for at least two things: stargazing (don't miss it) and going to the Tatio Geysers (must get there before the sun comes up over the mountains or the steam burns off and you lose much of the effect). Bring something warm to wear. It shouldn't stop you from doing anything if you're prepared.

Enjoy your trip!

italdesign

I, too, am going to San Pedro de Atacama (SPA) in Feb. I posted a question on Tripadvisor and haven't received a response, so allow me to ask it here.

We'll be arriving around 10:30am (meaning bus arriving at SPA) on Feb 15, flying out Feb 18 2:30pm out of Calama. So we effectively have 3 days, but I am aware that most tours leave very early morning OR 4pm. That means on the 1st day we won't be able to do a morning tour. So I'm wondering how many places we can realistically see (no car, so tours)? We are interested in the usual:

Valley of Moon
Geyser de Tatio
Altiplanic Lagoons
the famous salt place - is this Salar de Tara?

Can we see all of the above in the time we have? Any other must sees? Stargazing is definitely on the list but that can be self guided from my understanding.

Is Valley of the Moon the only 4pm tour, or is there more that are worthwhile?

Which place(s) are famous for flamingos?

iahphx

Thanks for the advice. I am inclined to do everything "myself" without a tour operator, if that's feasible. I'm mostly concerned with road conditions though: I could rent a 4x4, but if the road is REALLY difficult, I'm going to want a driver.

Is anyone familiar with a detailed guide to "do it yourself Atacama?"

Efrem

Only the main highways are paved. Everything else is not. Even the main street in San Pedro de Atacama (Caracoles, closed to vehicles) is dirt. Very much a 19th-century movie Western look, though the Internet cafés do remind one what century one is in. The good news is that the road is never muddy!

iahphx

Good point!

I'll look into what a 4x4 truck will cost me. I don't think I'd be happy with anything else. I would think a Toyota Hilux would be commonly available.

sooge_sj

I was in San Pedro de Atacama in September 2016, and spent 2 night. I arrived in Calama early morning on a Friday, and flew out late evening on Sunday.

I booked my tours once I arrived in SPA. I did the 4pm Valley of Moon tour the day I arrive (Friday), the Geyser de Tatio the next day (Saturday), and Altiplanic Lagoons (which included the villages of Socaire and Toconao and a visit to the Los Flamencos Natural Reserve) the day I departed (Sunday).

It all went well, except for the fact that the fan belt broke on the way to the Altiplanic Lagoons. Luckily the driver/guide drove the van back to the village of Socaire, and cooked breakfast for the group until a replacement van was sent. So, we didn't loose too much time. I was worried about getting delayed and missing my flight back to Santiago from Calama, but that was not an issue at all.

italdesign

I am back from SPA (went last month) and just want to give one advice: See the sights INDEPENDENTLY (as in, drive yourself or hire a driver, not join a tour group) IF you like to take your time to enjoy some of the best nature in the world. The tours just don't give enough time at the destinations (most of the time is spent driving).

I did 3 tours: Valley of the Moon (Amazing, just amazing), Piedras Rojas + Altiplanic Lagoons (out of this world), and Geyser del Tatio (meh for me). At Valley, Piedras, and Antiplanic, I wish I had a full day to enjoy each.

It's among the very best nature I've ever seen, and it's my big regret that the visits were so hurried.

iahphx

Thanks. How are the roads?

I'm strongly leaning toward renting my own 4x4, but it looks like a Forester (instead of a Hilux) is the best I can do without spending a fortune. I'm hoping a Forester is "good enough" for the side trips from San Pedro (I think it is).

I'm flying into Calama and out of Arica (airfares are dirt cheap from SCL if you buy them on the Chilean LATAM site or from Sky), which seems to subject me to outrageous one-way car rental surcharges (they seem to start at about $200). If anyone knows a way to avoid this, I'm all ears. But it may still be better than driving back and forth.

I'm finding San Pedro info to be widely available, but not that many folks seem to do the drive to Arica. What I've learned so far (and this is not exhaustive research) is that the Atacama sights are clustered in San Pedro, Iquique and Arica, the last two not as off-the-beaten-track as Americans might believe. Iquique is actually a Chilean resort; to my surprise there are Western chain hotels (I booked into the well-regarded Hilton). Arica also has beaches, but seems less mainstream touristy as Iquique. And there are good natural attractions near both Iquique and Arica, so you might not want all your lodging in these cities.