Trips and Tours to San Pedro de Atacama

The village itself is a tiny collection of traditional adobe houses lining dirt streets filling out from an attractive plaza and the picture-perfect Iglesia de San Pedro, one of the largest Andean churches in the region. Leading off from the little plaza is a narrow alley home to numerous artesanía stalls selling alpaca knitwear and interesting souvenirs.

It is perhaps the incredible lunar-like landscape of volcanos, desolate plains and brilliant lakes that primarily attracts visitors and San Pedro de Atacama. Nearby Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) is a perfect example of this dramatic scenery. South of town is Chile's largest salt flat, the Salar de Atacama. Spanning 3,000-square-kilometres, the vast salt flat contains several small lakes where flamingoes congregate and plates of salt float in the beautiful waters. North of town is the Tatio geysers, a field full of steaming blowholes that shoot thermal waters high into the air. This brilliant spectacle is complemented by a swimming pool and a nearby rock pool.