San Pedro de Atacama Short Stay

After Breakfast; Tour Altiplanic Lagoons & Atacama Salt Flat (Full day tour): At the Atacama Salt Flat, in the Soncor sector of Los Flamencos National Reserve in Laguna Chaxa we will enjoy a variety of birdlife, mainly flamingos, which because of their beauty are the main attraction of the salt flat. We will walk around the site following a trail to learn about and admire the lagoons of the salt flat, one of the most important of the world due to its size. On the way to the High Andean lagoons, we will see the town of Socaire, a locality that is known for its traditional gastronomy based on the work carried out by its inhabitants since ancient times with crop terraces and irrigation canals, growing corn, quinoa, fava beans, carrots, and potatoes, which have allowed them to remain here and keep this small and faraway village alive. In the High Andean plains, we will visit the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons at 4,200 meters (13,779 feet) above sea level, located on the foothills of the volcanoes of the Andes Mountain Range of the same names. Through their trails, we will enjoy nature in a landscape full of contrasts, such as the deep blue sky, the color of the vegetation and the other colors of the mountain range. Close to San Pedro de Atacama, we will visit the town of Toconao, its bell tower and Saint Luke Church, both of them national monuments since 1951. We will learn about its history and discover its local handicrafts made of pumice stone, cactus wood and alpaca and llama wool. Lunch with typical food in a local house in Socaire. Overnight in San Pedro de Atacama.

After Breakfast; Geysers del Tatio & Machuca (Early morning Tour): We will travel towards the High Andean plains early in the morning and after an almost 2-hour ride we will reach one of the most important geothermal fields in the world, the "Tatio Geysers". We will learn about different geothermal manifestations and see the geysers located at the highest altitude in the world, 4,320 meters (14,173 feet) above sea level. Surrounded by spurts of water and vapor, we will enjoy the beauty of the Andes in its natural scenery. We will then visit "Pozón Rústico", where you will delight in the thermal waters the mountain range provides for us. Taking the road back to San Pedro de Atacama, you will see the beautiful landscape, as well as native plants and wildlife, such as the Andean Feather Grass, the "Tolares" (shrublands), and the Vicuñas. We will also observe different bird species at the Putana bog, such as the Giant Coot, the Andean Goose, and the Crested Duck. We will continue our journey accompanied at all times by the majestic Andes mountains, until finally coming to a stop at the Machuca village, an ancient place of llama herders and extraction of llareta and sulfur. This town with houses built with adobe, straw and cactus wood is nowadays focused on tourism, offering local products such as Andean handicrafts, male llama meat, sopaipillas and empanadas. Every year, on July 25, the village celebrates Saint James, its patron, which is also the name of the church that dates from the XVIII and is a symbol of the High Andes in this region. Overnight in San Pedro de Atacama.