Duration:4 Days / 3 Nights

Program of moderately easy hikes with base in San Pedro
Man has always relied on his feet as a means of transportation, even over great distances. In this program, we will travel through canyons, valleys, plains, and towns, following in the footsteps of ancient peoples who left the record of their lives stamped on the desert.
We will hike at an average altitude of 2,600 m. We will have water enough to bathe. We will be able to appreciate and photograph the rich plant and animal life unique to this region. We will be in direct contact with the descendants of ancient cultures, who still live in the solitary confines of these high plains, mute witnesses to an extraordinary past.

Itinerary (Daily departures min. 2 person)

Day 1 Calama - San Pedro de Atacama - Moon Valley (Hiking 4 hours)

Morning arrival at the Calama`s airport. Reception and transfer to San Pedro de Atacama. Accommodations at the hotel. At 1 p.m. brief drive to the Salt Mountains and hike through the Valley of the Moon, with its impressive geologic formations and extensive sand dunes, and its lovely panorama at sunset. Before turning in for the night, we gather at the hotel to go over details of the trip. Meals on your own. Overnight.

Day 2 San Pedro de Atacama - Machuca & Rio Grande (Trek 8 hours)

Early breakfast, followed by departure northward from San Pedro towards the village of Machuca (altitude 3,600 m). At that point we begin a hike of around five hours over uneven terrain, through the Machuca salt marshes, and down a shallow valley to Peñaliri. From there we follow a stream along an ancient Indian route over terraced fields until we reach the town of Rio Grande, home of farmers and shepherds who still retain their ancestral customs. After a late picnic lunch, we drive back to San Pedro, stopping along the way to visit the Yerbas Buenas petroglyphs. Dinner on your own. Overnight.

Day 3 San Pedro de Atacama - Guatin & Puritama (Hiking 3 hours)

Early breakfast, at 8 a.m. we set out in a northeasterly direction from San Pedro, heading for the Purifica River (Agua Buena). Our hike this morning takes us along ancient Indian caravan trails down the Guatín canyon (altitude 3,000 m), an area noted for its amazing variety of cactus plants as well as for its sparkling pools of fresh water. Upon reaching Puritima the hot springs (3400m/11220ft.), where we enjoy a relaxing bath before returning to San Pedro around 1 p.m. Afternoon at leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight.

Day 4 San Pedro - Tatio Geyser - Caspana - Calama (Overlanding 10 hours)

At 4 a.m. we leave San Pedro towards Tatio Geysers. Walk around the geothermal field with boiling mud and steam columns that make a geological stage of enormous beauty. Breakfast in field and after enjoy the natural hot spring. The tour continues through the Andean villages of Caspana, Chiu-Chiu, Lasana fortress, Loa River petroghyphs and the Inca Coya Lake before to reach in Calama airport. Box lunch included.

Note:

Please book your return flight from Calama after 5 p.m. B = breakfast; L = lunch as box lunch; D = dinner

Includes:

Transfers Calama-San Pedro-Calama - Support transportation at key points during the trip - Overnight stays at San Pedro de Atacama hotel with breakfast - Box lunches during the full day excursions - Bilingual guide for trekking, as well as support personnel for groups of more than six people.

Not Included:

Internal air tickets, tips, park entrance fees, meals not specified, any kind of insurance, medical expenses, extras of any kind.

Recommended clothing:
Coat and wind breaker. Wool socks, cap, and gloves. T-shirts, shorts, bathing suit. Comfortable hiking boots, sneakers, sandals. Jeans or the like. Sweater or fleece.

Updating, July 2008