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Included Excursions
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Lauca National Park
This park is well-known for being home to a great wealth of flora and fauna, its highly interesting culture and history, and sites of uncultivated beauty. More than 130 different bird species live in this park, in addition to the distinctive vicuñas, vizcachas, and condors. A major attraction of the park is the astonishing Chungara Lake, one of the most elevated of the world, located at the foot of the Payachata twin volcanoes. (More Information)
Hotsprings Visits
As a way for getting relaxed after a hard trekking day, a hotspring bath is one of the best solutions. Luckily, Chile is plenty of them. And the Altiplano and Atacama desert are not the exception for it. You would be able to visit some in this trip like the ones of Jurasi (near Putre), Polloquere (Surire salt plain) and Enquelga (Lauca National Park).
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Moon Valley and Chaxa Lagoon
It is one of the most visited places in San Pedro and it is located at 17 kilometers of San Pedro's downtown, in the Cordillera de la Sal (Salt mountains) area, is an interesting area with stones and sand formations that per millenia the floods and the winds have given it a series of colors and texture to the desert, it presents an extraordinary attractive by its similarity with the moon surface and the natural coliseo of great dimensions. From a great dune is possible to appreciate the wonderful and surprising surroundings of this zone. This wonderful natural phenomenon, is due to the encounter of the Atacama desert with the Andes mountain range, which is produced by smooth slope changes, conformed by cones of rollings originating of the mountain bankruptcy. In full moon nights, the valley also presents an indescribable aspect, plenary of majesty and silence, coldly beautiful and imposing. In this place a geologic spectacle of great beauty can be observed, in special in the evening and daybreak. Declared sanctuary of the nature by its great natural beauty and strange moon appearance to which must its name. Every year is visited by hundreds of tourists for being one of the knowest places in Chile. (More Information)
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Chaxa Lagoon
The Chaxa lagoon comprises of the National Reserve the Flamenco ones and it is located 34,80 miles to the south of San Pedro de Atacama, partially it is covered with superficial salt, and in his margins it grows some flora adapted to the saline surroundings to the desert weather, with species as it annoys, cachiyuyo, salty breana Ephedra and grama. (Couch grass) The fauna of Laguna Chaxa includes Andean flamenco, and Chileans flamenco; this last one nests here. Also there is chorlos of plateau, playeros of Baird, Andean gulls, colegiales, pequenes and a species of wanderer. (More Information)
Humberstone Saltpeter Offices
This Ghost Town is 52 km from Iquique. Its complete name is Oficina Santiago Humberstone; it was established in 1862 and has been declared a National Monument. It was originally named Palma, but when it changed owners in 1934, the name was adopted by which it is known today.
The office functioned until 1960, when the saltpeter business suffered a decline. The buildings have been well preserved and you can go in and appreciate their sumptuous construction. A good example is the theater, which stands in the square and still has its original seats. You can also see the church, which has been recently restored.
Elsewhere you will find a copper swimming pool with a bamboo roof against the sun, tennis courts, old houses for the miners, the Pulpería (shop) and the administration building.
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Huasco Salt Lake
This is one of the highlights of the trip. Is located at 3800 meters in the High Andean plateau region. Is one of the most pristine salars remaining in Chile, retaining almost all of its ecological integrity. Its location between two towering mountain ranges places it on one of the most important migratory bird flight paths and render it a crucial resting and nesting area. You must be there and leave by yourself the mystic of this place.
Pintados Geoglyphs
Is an extraordinary site that boasts more than 350 geoglyphs that were rendered on the region’s barren hills between ca. A.D. 500 and 1450 to serve as guideposts for caravans crossing the Atacama Desert between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean. The geoglyphs, which depict marine life and agricultural scenes, were made using two different techniques: one in which stones are added to create designs, and the other in which stone is carved away or removed. Some of the designs reflect the influence of the Tiawanaku culture of Peru and Bolivia. Collectively, these works constitute the largest collection of geoglyphs in Chile.
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Optional Activities
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- Horse back riding.
- Sand boarding.
- Paragliding.
- Mountainbike.
- Mountaineering.
- Surf.
- Azapa Arqueological Museum visit.
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