Chile : Tours : Calama – Uyuni Salt Pits – San Pedro de Atacama

Starting in Calama, this program will take you to the most beautiful and traditional parts of the Chilean highlands: the pukara de Lasana, the Chiu-Chiu Church, San Pedro de Atacma, the Hedionda lagoons, Colorada and Verde; you will also go to one of the largest beautiful salt pits in South America at Uyuni in Bolivia.

Day 1.
Leave from the Mirador Hotel in Calama, visiting the Chiu-Chiu Church and Pukara of Lasana, we will continue crossing the Chilean highlands, passing by marvelous volcanoes, salt pits and colorful lagoons (Ascotan and Carcote Salt Pits).  We’ll go to Bolivia by the Abaroa border crossing to get to the town of San Cristobal where we’ll stay at the town hotel.

Day 2.
Leave from San Cristobal to go to the Uyumi Salt Pits, visiting Colchani and its salt extraction process, cross over to the Salt Pits to visit the Incahuasi Island (Isla del Pescado) and have lunch on the Island.  On the return trip we’ll visit the hotel of salt and the town of Uyuni then return to the San Cristobal Hotel.

Day 3.
Leave from San Cristobal to visit the Hedionda Lagoon, Laguna Colorada, the Tree of Rock, Fumaroles, and Laguna Verde and finally finish at San Pedro de Atacama.

Chiu-Chiu and its Church
33 kms from Calama we can find the beautiful picturesque town of Chiu-Chiu at a height of 2,525 meters. It used to be called “Atacama la Chica” (Little Atacama), but now Chiu-Chiu is a small town of simple designs with a restored plaza and a beautiful old church constructed a little before 1675. In this chapel there are some images carved in wood that were brought over by the Spaniards. Beside the church you may find hand craft stores.

Pukara de Lasana
The Pukara de Lasana is a fort constructed of rock for the Atacameans that dates from the 12th Century, located 2,590 meters high on a cliff over the Loa River that was used by the Incas as a center for administration. The architecture of the fort is made up of narrow walkways surrounded by rectangular buildings and circular rock constructions.

Uyuni Salt Pits
Located to the Southeast of Bolivia, the Uyuni Salt Pits is the larges in the world. It has a surface area of 12 thousand kms square and is located 3,700 meters ASL. The salt pit is the residue of a sea that covered all the highlands up to the Titicaca Lake and that throughout thousands of years has disappeared. Besides the salt, in the salt pit there is Lithium, Potassium, Boron, and Magnesium.

San Pedro de Atacama
Considered the Archaeological capital of Chile and declared a Typical Zone.  It was the main center of Atacamean culture or Likanantai that later was conquered by the Incas, who installed an Administrative Center and Government.  The town is small with walkways and adobe constructions.  Its main attractions are the church, the archaeological museum of Padre Le Paige, a Jesuit missionary who lived in the area from 1955 to 1980, the year of his death.  Inside there are ceramics from different evolutionary eras, gold figures and momies.

The Program Includes

• Entrance passes to tourist destinations and fee at the Bolivian Customs.
• Accommodations at the San Cristobal Hotel (Bolivia).
• Full pension at the San Cristobal Hotel-Bolivia according to the menu;  the rest of the trip with a box lunch.

Notes

• The trip to the Uyuni Salt Pits is recommended only for children over 12 years because of the temperature and height conditions.

Recommendations

• Equipment: Sports shoes for walking, hiking boots, thermal clothing (interior and exterior), parka for the high mountains, lip protection, gloves, hat, sunglasses with side protection, sun block, 20-40 lt. backpack, passport and Bolivian visas for those countries that require them.
• Baggage: We suggest that you bring the minimum and necessary for the trip.

Rates

Rates are per person in American Dollars.

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