The Atacama is the world’s highest desert and one of the driest places on Earth, yet it is anything but barren. Salt lakes home to hundreds of flamingos shimmer in the midday sun and everywhere you look active volcanoes cast their mark on the landscape as they jut up into the sky. At night thousands upon thousands of stars emerge and shine bright in the near-absolute darkness.
We’ve put together a list of the best things to see and do while visiting the Atacama. All the places listed can be reached by booking through a tour company if you do not have your own mode of transportation. We do, however, recommend renting your own vehicle if possible as this gives you the freedom to see all the sights listed and more at your own pace. Both vehicle rental and sightseeing tours can be booked online or in person in San Pedro de Atacama (read on for more information).
Summary of the best things to do:
- Visit the town of San Pedro de Atacama
- Watch geysers eject into the sky at Geiser del Tatio
- Marvel at the unique colours of the landscape at Piedras Rojas and Mirador de Aguascalientes
- Visit the high plateau and Lagunas Miscanti and Miniques
- Explore an out of this world landscape at Valle de la Luna
- Wander around the colourful rock formations at Valle del Arcoiris (Rainbow Valley)
- See flamingos at Lagunas Tebinquiche and Chaxa
- Float in the turquoise Lagunas Escondidas de Baltinache
- Stargaze and learn about space during an astronomy tour
- Visit the world famous ALMA ( Atacama Large Milimetr Array) Observatory
San Pedro de Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama is a small town and the central hub for visiting the Atacama Desert. The dusty streets of this bohemian-artisan meets wild-west town are lined with independent stores, chilled out cafes, and boutique hotels and hostels. It’s a great place to spend a day or two browsing the shops, picking up souvenirs, or trying Chilean food. While you’re there we recommend visiting:
- Adobe – Chilean restaurant
- La Franchuteria – bakery
Tour companies
As mentioned, all the places listed in this guide can be visited by booking through a tour company. Most can be booked in advance online, or you should have no problem booking in person a day before in San Pedro de Atacama. Usually the entrance fees to each of the sites in the Atacama are not included in the tour price. Our recommended tour operators are:
(Salar de Uyuni tours (Bolivia’s famous salt flats) also depart from San Pedro de Atacama. We highly recommend going with Cruz Andina.)
Rent a vehicle
Alternatively, you can rent a vehicle and visit the places yourself without the need of booking through a tour company (recommended). Driving in the Atacama is relatively simple as the roads are very quiet. However, some of the roads are in awful condition with huge potholes, loose gravel, and constant bumps. If you are driving to the Geiser del Tatio or Lagunas Escondidas de Baltinache you will need a sturdy vehicle. It’s also worth noting that the only petrol/gas station in the whole area is in San Pedro de Atacama.
Rent a car from:
Geiser del Tatio
Lying 2 hours north of San Pedro de Atacama, is the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere and the highest in the world at 4,320 metres. The scenery along the way to the geyser field is amazing in itself and you’ll almost certainly come across wildlife including vicunas and rheas (a large bird similar to an ostrich). The geothermal field has a large density of geysers (around 80) that can be viewed from close walking trails. The landscape and the vibrant colours of the earth as minerals mix in the high temperatures are spectacular. Go early in the morning when the sun has just risen and the geysers are more active.
The entrance fee is $15,000 Chilean Pesos.
Piedras Rojas and Mirador de Aguascalientes
If beautiful scenery like nothing you’ve ever seen before is what you’re looking for then head 2 hours south of San Pedro de Atacama to Piedras Rojas and Mirador de Aguascalientes. This area is prized for its colourful landscape and salt lakes – the view from Mirador de Aguascalientes is like looking out over a giant marble. Due to erosion of this sensitive environment access directly down to the lakes is no longer permitted, but we still highly recommend going for the view even from a distance.
This is one of the few places in the Atacama where you can admire the scenery without an entrance fee.
Lagunas Miscanti and Miniques
Part of the Chilean Altiplano – a high plateau of the central Andes – these two beautiful lakes sitting at around 4,100 meters can be enjoyed at a distance from hiking trails and viewing decks. Behind Laguna Miscanti towers Cerro Miscanti, an extinct volcano, and birds and vicunas can usually be spotted along the lake shore. The lakes can be found 1h 30m drive from San Pedro de Atacama. We recommend combining a visit to these lakes with a trip to Piedras Rojas and Mirador de Aguascalientes – all can easily be done in a day.
The entrance fee is $6,000 Chilean Pesos.
Valle de la Luna
Translated in English as Valley of the Moon, this area features spectacular rock formations and as the name suggests, a moon-like landscape. Located a short drive from San Pedro de Atacama, there are different sites to visit and walk around within the valley. We recommend visiting in the evening as the sun is setting for beautiful colours cast on the landscape.
The entrance fee is $10,500 Chilean Pesos.
Valle del Arcoiris (Rainbow Valley)
Situated about one hour drive from San Pedro de Atacama, this geological wonder of rock formations and mountains coloured by a mixture of minerals is an interesting place to walk around if you have spare time in the Atacama, plus there is no entrance fee.
Lagunas Tebinquiche and Chaxa
The Atacama Desert has a number of salt lakes situated within Los Flamencos National Reserve – a large protected area home to hundreds of flamingos which can be seen feeding on algae.
These flamingos as well as other birds and wildlife are best seen at Laguna Chaxa. Well-planned paths and an informative visitor centre allow you to explore the salt flats and lake. The entrance fee is $8,000 Chilean Pesos.
The pastel-coloured Laguna Tebinquiche is best visited at sunset as the tranquil lake acts like a mirror reflecting the surrounding volcanoes. The entrance fee is $5,000 Chilean Pesos.
Lagunas Escondidas de Baltinache
Alongside being sanctuaries for flamingos and other wildlife, some of the lakes situated within the Atacama including Lagunas Escondidas de Baltinache and Laguna Cejar are accessible for visitors to enter the water. The high salt content of the lakes makes the water dense which means that anyone entering the water is positively buoyant – sit back, relax, and float. Along with the pure fun of floating in water without the need for an inflatable, Lagunas Escondidas de Baltinache is spectacular as the water is bright turquoise.
The entrance fee is $10,000 Chilean Pesos.
Astronomy tour
The high altitude of the Atacama Desert, combined with its frequent clear skies and almost non-existent light pollution make this area one of of the best places to see the night sky in the world. It is also why this area is home to some of the most scientifically renowned observatories. Take a short drive or even walk outside of San Pedro de Atacama and you will be able to see thousands of celestial objects including stars, planets, and satellites. Alternatively, visit the largest public observatory in Chile – San Pedro de Atacama Celestial Exploration (S.P.A.C.E) – which offers guided tours for the opportunity to see things such as the rings of Saturn, clusters of stars, and galaxies using their powerful telescopes. Due to the pandemic S.P.A.C.E is currently only offering private tours for small groups.
ALMA (Atacama Large Millimetre Array) Observatory tour
The observatory, home to the largest radio telescope in the world, is open for public visitations on Saturdays and Sunday’s. Due to coronavirus public tours are cancelled until further notice. Check back on their site for more information.
