Things to do in San Pedro de Atacama
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit San Pedro de Atacama
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Mild days, clear skies, comfortable nights.
Altiplanic winter: afternoon storms can close high roads.
Clearest skies of the year, freezing nights, peak prices.
Best things to do in San Pedro de Atacama
Valle de la Luna
Moon-like valley of salt caves and dunes; the sunset slot is the whole point.
El Tatio
Geyser field at 4,300 metres, tallest steam at sunrise in freezing air.
Laguna Cejar
Salt lagoon dense enough to float in, ringed by volcanoes.
Laguna Chaxa
Flamingos feeding at close range in the reserve's shallow lagoon.
Lagunas Altiplánicas
High lagoons under snowy volcanoes with vicuñas nearby; altitude is the challenge.
Piedras Rojas
Red rocks beside a turquoise salt lake, usually paired with the lagoons.
Atacama stargazing tour
Some of the clearest skies on earth; book for a moonless night.
Pukará de Quitor
12th-century fortress 3 km from town; walkable or an easy bike ride.
Where to stay in San Pedro de Atacama
San Pedro town centre
a first trip
Restaurants, agencies and the plaza within minutes on foot.
Ayllu outskirts
quiet and pools
The luxury lodges in the oasis hamlets, all-inclusive, volcano views.
Calama
flight nights only
The airport city 1.5 hours away; sleep here only before an early flight.
Think twice about
- Calama for the sights
Ninety minutes each way on a dull highway; you miss the village evenings.
- Right on Caracoles street if you sleep lightly
Agencies and bars run late; one street back is quiet.
- Street touts for tours
The licensed agencies on Caracoles are accountable; the clipboard men are not.
Best restaurants in San Pedro de Atacama
Adobe
The classic dinner: Chilean dishes with Atacama ingredients in a courtyard.
La Estaka
Upscale Chilean cooking and a good wine list; the special-occasion table.
Pizzeria El Charrua
Wood-fired pizzas in a relaxed courtyard; the easy post-excursion dinner.
La Picada del Indio
Hearty Chilean home cooking at fair prices; the value lunch.
Best coffee in San Pedro de Atacama
Roots Café
Good coffee and big breakfasts; the morning meeting point before tours.
La Franchuteria
French bakery and breakfast spot; the best pastries in the desert.
Outdoor things to do in San Pedro de Atacama
Valle de la Muerte sandboarding
Late-afternoon sandboard sessions on the Death Valley dunes.
Pukará de Quitor bike ride
The easy DIY half-day: 3 km to the fortress, altitude makes it honest.
Salar de Tara
Wild full-day 4x4 to stone sentinels and lagoons with far fewer visitors.
Machuca
Highland village and wetlands on the geyser route; the breakfast stop.
Atacama horseback riding
Guided rides through the salt cordillera and ayllus around town.
Best hotels in San Pedro de Atacama
Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás
Central adobe hotel with a pool; the standard mid-range base.
Terrantai Lodge
Boutique lodge feel in town with a good restaurant.
Tierra Atacama
The design lodge in the ayllus, all-inclusive with volcano views.
Explora Atacama
All-inclusive lodge with its own guides, horses and observatory.
Nayara Alto Atacama
Large park-like grounds and a full excursion programme.
Is San Pedro de Atacama expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | CLP 55,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | CLP 130,000 a person |
| Splurge | CLP 320,000 a person |
| No limits | CLP 650,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Valle de la Luna: a few days ahead
- El Tatio: a few days ahead
- Lagunas Altiplánicas: a few days ahead
- Atacama stargazing tour: a few days ahead
- Salar de Tara: a few days ahead
- Atacama horseback riding: a few days ahead
- Adobe: a few days ahead
- La Estaka: a few days ahead
- El Tatio and the lagoons in January and February: book the day before.
- Adobe and La Estaka for dinner in high season: book that morning.
- Stargazing for a moonless night; check the moon phase.
- Luxury lodges months ahead for July, August and Christmas.
Is San Pedro de Atacama safe?
- Safe village; the risks are altitude, sun and cold. Sunscreen, hat, water always. Emergency number 133.
San Pedro de Atacama travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- El Tatio and the lagoons back to back without acclimatising.
- Day tours mislabelled as the Salar de Atacama that are just Laguna Cejar.
- Overpriced ancestral ceremonies from touts.
- Drinking heavily at 2,400 metres on night one.
Getting around San Pedro de Atacama: public transport and more
- The village is walkable; everything is within fifteen minutes.
- Excursions are the transport: book per tour on Caracoles.
- Bikes rent cheaply; many hotels lend them free.
- Calama airport transfers take 1.5 hours; book with your hotel.
Who San Pedro de Atacama suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make San Pedro de Atacama your trip
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