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Nature reserve
Valle de la Luna
A valley of salt, clay and sand in the Cordillera de la Sal, about 13 km from San Pedro, with dunes, ridges and caves shaped by the wind. It is part of the Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos.
Antofagasta · Chile
San Pedro de Atacama
In the destination Deserto do Atacama.
In the photo: Iglesia de San Pedro de Atacama
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The city
What to expect from San Pedro de Atacama.
San Pedro de Atacama is an oasis of adobe houses at about 2,400 meters altitude, the base for desert tours. In the center are the Iglesia de San Pedro de Atacama and the Museo R.P. Gustavo Le Paige; around them are Pukará de Quitor, Aldea de Tulor, Valle de la Luna and Valle de la Muerte. Farther away are Laguna Cejar, Laguna Chaxa, the Lagunas Miscanti and Miñiques, the Géiseres del Tatio and the Termas de Puritama.
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The local experience
What to see in San Pedro de Atacama
Natural landscape
Valle de la Muerte
Valley of reddish ridges and a large dune in the Cordillera de la Sal, a few kilometers from San Pedro. Popular for hikes, cyclists and sandboard runs.
High-altitude lagoons
Lagunas Altiplánicas Miscanti y Miñiques
Two lagoons above 4,100 meters, at the foot of Cerro Miscanti and the Miñiques volcano, with vicuñas and Andean birds nearby. They are in the Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos.
Lagoon and birdwatching
Laguna Chaxa
A shallow lagoon in the middle of the Salar de Atacama, in the Soncor sector of the Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos, where three species of flamingo usually feed.
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Geothermal field
Géiseres del Tatio
Field of about 80 active geysers at over 4,200 metres, northwest of San Pedro, visited at dawn when the steam rises in the cold.
Salt lagoon
Laguna Cejar
A very salty lagoon in the Salar de Atacama, about 20 km from San Pedro. Bathing is done in the neighboring Laguna Piedra, where the body floats effortlessly.
Archaeological site
Pukará de Quitor
12th-century stone fortress on a hillside above the Rio San Pedro, 3 km from the village. It is a National Monument and has a trail to a lookout.
Archaeological site
Aldea de Tulor
Village of circular adobe houses, occupied for more than two thousand years and found under the sand southwest of San Pedro. It has walkways and reconstructed houses.
Historic church
Iglesia de San Pedro de Atacama
Adobe church on the Plaza de Armas, with 18th-century walls and a cactus-wood roof tied with leather. It has been a Historic Monument since 1951.
Archaeological museum
Museo R.P. Gustavo Le Paige
Archaeological collection assembled by Father Gustavo Le Paige, displayed in a visitable repository of the Universidad Católica del Norte, one block from the Plaza de Armas.
Natural hot springs
Termas de Puritama
Eight thermal pools along a stream at the bottom of a canyon about 30 km from San Pedro, linked by wooden walkways.