San Pedro de Atacama « iTravelChile

SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA

Antofagasta region, Chile

Quaint, unhurried, and built of adobe brick, the oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama lies in the midst of a region replete with bizarre land formations, giant sand dunes, jagged canyons, salt pillars, boiling geysers, and one smoking volcano.

San Pedro de Atacama is one of the most visited cultural attractions of the country and preferred by millions of tourists worldwide, which gives it a cosmopolitan characteristic. Is considered as the archaeological capital of the country thanks to its privileged geographical environment surrounded by landscapes, of singular beauty and the deep blue color of it sky, which will always be clear. It is located at 6.000 meters above sea level.

The town is the center of the native culture of Atacama, who inhabited the desert a time ago. The museum Padre Le Paige has about 4.000 skulls, innumerable mummies, weapons and bowls in exhibition. The main economical activity of the area is based on tourism and agriculture.

The town has a variety of services for the tourists that visit it every year, among which outstand hotels from 2 to 5 stars, restaurants and bars, craft, call centers, hospital and police. For adventure seekers, there is a wealth of activities to participate in, including hiking, mountain biking, sandboarding, and horseback riding.

Stable climate make any time of the year a good time to visit here. But if you dislike the cold, June through September can be uncomfortable when temperatures plummet at night. Also, if you want to avoid the crowds, tourism explodes during high season, so you might feel overwhelmed by the number of tourists if you come from December through February