San Pedro de Atacama is a Chilean town and commune in El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region. It is a popular tourist destination.
San Pedro de Atacama grew, over centuries, around an oasis in the Atacama desert. It is located east of Antofagasta, some 100 km (60 mi) southeast of Calama and the Chuquicamata copper mine, overlooking the Licancabur volcano. It features a significant archeological museum, the R. P. Gustavo Le Paige Archaeological Museum, with a large collection of relics and artifacts from the region. Native ruins nearby now attract increasing numbers of tourists interested in learning about pre-Colombian cultures. Tourists also visit for other popular activities including sandboarding and stargazing, with the views of the stars from the Atacama unrivalled across the continent.
The town lies at an average altitude of approximately 2,400m (7,900 ft) and visitors often experience mild altitude sickness such as dizziness, lethargy and headaches. The local climate is extremely dry (with little or no rainfall recorded in the town itself) and mild, with daytime temperatures between 25-30 degrees Celsius (77-86°F) in the summer (December to February) and 18-25 degrees Celsius (64-77°F) in the winter (June to August). Nighttime temperatures routinely drop below zero and can reach as low as -10°C (14°F) in the winter. (source)
BEST PLACES TO STAY
Awasi
Awasi is a new luxury boutique hotel in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. With only 8 rooms, guests can enjoy the splendor of the Atacama Desert without compromising comfort, privacy, or relaxation. Guest rooms are large with over 550 sq feet including a private patio, reading area and outdoor shower. Each room comes equipped with a personal guide and 4wd vehicle for the excursions to the many beautiful features of the Atacama Desert (source)
Altiplánico is a place to feel the immensity and silence of the Atacama Desert. Located in a spacious terrain in the urban limit of the town, it is like a small oasis that offers rest, tranquility and freshness.
The boutique hotel, Tierra Atacama Hotel & Spa is a place where guests from around the world come together to experience the beauty of the Altiplano and the Atacama Desert. After a day of hiking, biking, walking or four wheel touring, Tierra Atacama offer their guests many ways to relax, with the most luxurious being a visit to the Spa.
Terrantai was built in San Pedro de Atacama with the materials taken from earth of the surrounding desert. In this way the architect, Matias Klotz, was able to use techniques developed thousands of years ago, with local elders teaching young architects new skills.
The stone used in Terrantai is of a beauty that is inspiring.
Atacama Lodge is located a few kilometers south of San Pedro de Atacama, in the chilean Andes, very close to the triple custom point between Chile, Argentina and Bolivia.
Compared to the other lodging solutions in San Pedro, Atacama Lodge have a different location, different aim and different advantages.
Located in the magic splendor of the archeologically rich San Pedro de Atacama desert area in the northern Chile, the CASA DE DON TOMAS offers its guests the best in comfort and ambiance.
Spacious rooms with private baths are complimented by the best in service.
The concept of the hotel emerged from the meeting of two different perspectives of this most remarkable spot on the Herat through the blue eyes of someone to whom the beauty of the desert oasis was a discovery and brown eyes of someone to whom that beauty was home.
Inspired by the Tulor village, an archaeological site known for its circular clay structures more than 3000 years old, the Hotel Tulor, located near the center of San Pedro, offers the services of a first class hotel to visitors from around the world.
This place is definitely one of the most traditional and oldest hotels of the region. Made of volcanic stone, the hostelry is a nice place which mixes the history of the region with the comfort of today.
Tel. +56 55 851011
$125
BEST PLACES TO EAT
Adobe
This is the best choice in San Pedro, for both the food and the cozy ambience. Though nothing on the menu deviates much from a typical Chilean menu, everything is delicious and nicely presented. The stone oven-baked pizzas are a standout, and the nightly fixed menu is always tasty and filling for about $7 to $9 (source)
La Casona is a newly renovated restaurant/bar housed in an old colonial building with soaring ceilings. Candlelit wooden tables adorned with a few sprigs of flowers and a crackling fireplace set a quieter ambience. There's also daytime outdoor seating, a pub, and an outdoor bar in the back warmed by a blazing fire, and though it isn't the hot spot it once was with locals, it can still get lively at night. (source)
Tel. +56 55 851004
$8
Restaurant Blanco
Restaurant Blanco is a newcomer to the San Pedro restaurant scene brought to you by the owners of Adobe and La Estaka. True to its name, the atmosphere is almost entirely white and minimalist, a simple backdrop for its hallmark cuisine. You can't miss its fresh Easter Island tuna with pepper sauce, but also try the vanilla beef. Sample its impressive wine list. (source)
Cafe Export is very popular with the local scene, though, unlike the Adobe, it lacks a touch of sophistication. That said, the ambience can be amusing in the evening, when eccentric characters and folk bands drop in and out through the night. The food is surprisingly good and the plates are heaping, and service is okay. (source)
Tel. +56 55 851547
$6
Cafe Tierra
This restaurant is best known for its whole-grain empanadas and sandwiches made from scratch with white meats. The wait can be long, but it's worth it. This is an excellent spot for a continental-style breakfast, with fresh bread and juice, and strong coffee. They've expanded, so there is plenty of room now, all outdoor seating. (source)
Tel. +56 55 851585
$12
BEST THINGS TO DO
Geyser El Tatio
A geyser field with over 80 active geysers.
Valley of the Moon
(Valle de la Luna)
A moon-like landscape with ruins of old Chilean salt mines, and worker huts.
Death Valley
(Valle de la Muerte)
A valley where gigantic dunes and rocks abound.
Salar de Atacama
A giant salt area (8,000 km²/3,100 mi²) in the middle of the Atacama Desert.
Puritama Hot Springs
Miscanti Lagoon
Pukará de Quitor
(Fort Quitor)
A fortification built by the Atacameño people in the 12th century.
Padre Le Paige Museum
(Archeological museum)
This museum near the plaza displays one of South America's most fascinating collections of pre-Columbian artifacts, gathered by Padre le Paige, a Belgian missionary.
Hotel San Pedro de Atacama - Architecture of Matias Klotz - Excursions around San Pedro de Atacama - San Pedro de Atacama - Valley of the Moon, San Pedro de Atacama -
Salt Lake in the Atacama desert - Aymara and altiplano culture - Best restaurants in San Pedro de Atacama - Best places to stay in San Pedro de Atacama
Best activities & excursions in San Pedro - Hotels - Lodges - Lodge - Travel to San Pedro de Atacama - Visit San Pedro de Atacama - Visit Chile Chile travel vacation package tours - Discount travel reservations and tours for Chile, Atacama, Patagonia, Santiago
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