72 Hours in Chile's Atacama Desert

psa that this is written from an extreme city girl perspective — if you are a real outdoorsman I have very little to offer you (other than my deepest admiration)

I just returned from my first ever backpacking trip (!) in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. I only learned about this desert a few months ago when alien/AI-like photos of giant neon green bulbous plants kept appearing on my Pinterest. A reverse google search told me they were llareta plants, native to the high altitude Atacama Desert in northern Chile. A few weeks later, I asked a friend in Sao Paulo what her favorite place in the world was and she said the Atacama Desert. I booked my ticket.

This is going to be a brain-dump of everything we did, everything we loved, and some things I wish I knew before the trip!

You need to fly first to Santiago, take another 2 hour flight north to Calama, followed by a 90 minute shuttle into the town of San Pedro. I hate flying but I’ll make an exception for this route which goes over the Andes the entire time. This must have been how Ansel Adams felt1, snapping photos of snow capped mountains from JetSmart seat 35F.

for the best mountain views:

• santiago → calama = right side

• calama → santiago = left side

I was nervous about securing an airport transfer on a Sunday evening (I was nervous about everything) but it’s so easy — just pick one of the many vendors at the exit. Shuttles are shared, run often, and cost ~$18 USD/person/way paid cash or card. If you’re in a group you can get a private transfer for about $100 USD. A total non-issue.

year-round packing list: hat, gloves, turtleneck, hoodie, puffer, thick socks, leggings, layers, mask for the dusty roads, diamox for altitude, ibuprofen for altitude, cash (not all the ATMs in town work)

• Altitude: San Pedro sits at 7,897 feet above sea level (altitude comps: CDMX, Aspen) but most excursions take you well above 14,000 feet where altitude sickness is a real thing. This is something to prepare for, not freak out about. I drank tons of water, avoided alcohol (one beer per day max), stocked up on ibuprofen and got a prescription for diamox2 which helps your body adjust to thin air.

• Town Amenities: The town of San Pedro is bigger than I thought it would be. Flying into Calama you’re like… holy shit where is civilization?, but rest assured the town is well equipped for tourists and you can find drinks/a good meal well into the night 7 days week. There are plenty of bodegas/grocery stores, and although the town does not have a hospital, there are doctors. Everything is walking distance.

• Weather: It gets COLD AF at night — pack multiple layers plus a hat, gloves, and puffer. It is also DUSTY AF — god forbid a desert have dust, I know, but walking around town you get coated in dirt kick-up from all the tour vans. On several occasions I wished that I had a mask to wear around town — so maybe pack one if you’re sensi like me.

• Paying in USD for Accommodations: Tourists visiting Chile can receive an exemption from the 19% Value Added Tax (VAT) on hotel stays by paying in US dollars (USD) or with an international credit card. Psycho but notable.

• Activity Planning: Waiting to book tours in person is the way to go. I wouldn’t book more than a day ahead for anything (except the overland Uyuni trip, book maybe 2-3 days in advance). I found Ventura Travel Agency on Reddit and went with them for all our tours — so easy to coordinate via WhatsApp or in person in San Pedro.

• Big Dogs Everywhere: We arrived to our hostel after dark to what appeared to be a pack of giant stray dogs waiting outside. I know from our time in SEA that big stray dogs are no bueno, but actually in San Pedro they are well adjusted/community owned shop dogs that get to wander freely. You’ll see unleashed, big ass dogs everywhere you go — often without owners. it was never an issue, just notable.

Day One — bike through the Devils Throat (3h) and star gazing (3h)

• Self-guided bike ride to Garganta del Diablo viewpoint — a great day one activity because you can do it on your own time, it’s beautiful but not overly challenging, and it’s at lower altitude. We rented bikes from our hostel, rode the 6km to the entrance of the park, another 6km through the “devils throat” and back, then returned to town. A few locals said they preferred this to Valley of the Moon, which we skipped because respectfully idgaf about a sunset instagram photo if it means sitting up there with hundreds of strangers.

• Try to book the 8pm slot for star-gazing — it’s truly incredible, you can see the milky way with your bare eyes. We saw multiple shooting stars! I felt like I was on another planet because the night stars in Chile are not the same stars visible in the states, despite the overlapping time zone (do the calculus on that!!!) I would have loved to go star-gazing on my own to avoid the insta-baddie photo shoots3 and 11pm pisco sour happy hour that seems to be required on all structured tours, but alas, it was definitely worth it.

Day Two — 1/2 day geysers tour and an afternoon exploring San Pedro

• Los Géiseres del Tatio — a half day excursion at high altitude which starts with sunrise (read: 4:30am pickup) at the geysers, followed by an actually good breakfast and various sight-seeing stops. The geysers were cool but my favorite part was just driving around — the scenery is unreal, you get to see animals along the way AND I saw a glimpse of the llareta plant that inspired this entire journey!

Day Three — full day high altitude tour

• Piedras Rojas — a full day excursion at high altitude which takes you to multiple lagoons through otherworldly landscapes. So many animals, views for days, and a great altitude tolerance tester if you hope to go onward to Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia!

• La Franchuteria — this is on every San Pedro guide and for good reason. I loved their large tree-covered patio and delicious fresh juices, croissants, and coffee.

• La Parada del Desierto — deeelish rotisserie chicken spot off the main drag. 1/4 chicken plate with fries smothered in house-made aji rojo = a perfect lunch

• ChelaCabur — the watering hole for locals and tourists alike. I sat by the window and got a Chelada (big draft beer with lots of lime juice and salt) — phenom!

• Rincón de Sal — this is a pizza/burger/salad spot that gets popping at night and makes delicious micheladas. Not fancy, great for a fun dinner, and they’re open late even on Sundays.