Atacama FAQ

The Atacama Desert

The Atacama desert is officially one of the highest and driest places on earth. Some areas of the desert are over 4400m high and haven't received a drop of rainfall in over 150 years. The terrain is a mix of dramatic rock features, canyons, high altitude volcanoes and sprawling desert plains and salt flats. The Atacama really does look and feel like it has no business being on earth and would be far more at home on Mars.

Where to Stay

The only real place to stay in the surrounding Atacama area is San Pedro De Atacama. San Pedro is a curious place that kind of has a Chilean cowboy lost to the world feel. The town has its own unique vibe that some people love and others don't. We thought the town was kind of neat and were happy to check it and the surrounding area out. All major services can be found in San Pedro.

Calama Airport

The Calama airport is your gateway and the most likely way you are getting to the Atacama. Calama connects well with Santiago and some of the other airport in South America. If you are not renting a car here there are some reasonable shuttle options on get your guide here that will take you straight to the airport.

https://www.getyourguide.com/san-pedro-de-atacama-l1862/calama-airport-transfer-tofrom-san-pedro-de-atacama-t190838/

Salar De Uyuni Tours

If you are heading to, or arriving from Bolivia and the Salar de Uyuni salt flats the tours will pick you up or leave you in San Pedro De Atacama. San Pedro is a great place to meet people and get a group together if you are looking to tour.

Safety In The Atacama

So unfortunately safety can be a bit of an issue in the Atacama. Fortunately this is basically just the town of Calama. Calama is one of the most dangerous cities in Chile and you should limit your time there. When we picked up our rental car the lady told us to keep all the windows up, lock the doors when driving and not to stop for anyone. She made us sign a document saying we would only get gas and food in town and continue on to San Pedro. We got out of Calama soon after arriving and headed straight to San Pedro. We felt totally safe in the entire rest of the desert and to be honest never even thought about it after leaving Calama. Because of this I would plan to spend all your days in San Pedro and either drive or get a shuttle to the airport.

Do You Need A Car For San Pedro

You can definitely see everything from town quite easily if you take tours. Saying that, we like doing things at our own pace and really enjoyed the freedom and being able to drive and stop for photos whenever we felt like it. As there was two of us, when we looked at the prices of all the tours it was actually cost effective to rent a 4x4. San Pedro sits at about 2400m + so get a car that has more power than you think you need. The lack of oxygen at elevation really effects the power output of smaller engines.

Type of Car to get

We got a small 4x4 pickup and felt like this was the right choice for the region. You could definitely get away with a 2wd car as long as you have clearance, but there was some areas I was happy to have 4x4. Personally, I wouldn't risk driving in the sand without a 4x4 and this would limit you from visiting certain areas like Valle De Muerte and Valley of the Moon.

The road to Laguna de Baltinache and El Tatio Geyser aldo requires a 4x4. Tours are easy to find to these two sites and a good option if you go with a normal car.

San Pedro, No Car Option

You can easily spend 2 or 3 days exploring around San Pedro itself and some of the closer attractions. Lots of people took a shuttle from the airport and then rented bikes to see Valley of the Dead, and Valley of the Moon. You can also buy reasonably priced tours to head to Piedras Rojas and back, as well as the Lagoon loop for Baltinache and El Tatio Geysers. This is a great option if you are travelling solo or uncomfortable with driving in South America. We found things were cheaper as a couple to rent out own car.

Climate

Summer (January to March)
The average daily temperature is 27°C /81°F

Nightly temperature of 8°C / 46°F

Winter (June to August)
The average daily temperature is 19°C /66°F

Nightly temperature of 1°C / 34°F

Although the days are quite hot, the open skies and altitude really cools things off at night. It gets surprisingly chilly at night so make sure to pack something warm if your heading out watch sunset.

Even if the day doesn't feel hot, still wear and bring sunscreen the high altitude really ups the UV radiation.

Wind in the Atacama

The Atacama is famous for its unpredictable high winds. They frequently get dust devils (aka tiny tornadoes) and sometimes they even blow through town. We saw several in our couple days so its something you want to take into consideration. If you are flying a drone in the area make sure you plan for the wind and the altitude. Drones do not do very well above 3000m so be conservative if you are flying. Most places in Atacama actually ban drones, so be aware of this too.

Altitude in the Atacama

San Pedro De Atacama sits at around 2400m or about 7800 feet. This is big jump in elevation to fly into from almost anywhere. It is important to plan your itinerary accordingly to give your self some time to acclimatize. Most people will not get altitude sickness at 2400m but you will definitely notice some effects. Piedras Rojas (the red rocks area photo spot) sits at 4200m and this should not be done on the first or second day. Give yourself some time to adjust.

Tips for altitude adjustment

• Drink lots of water

• Avoid alcohol until acclimatized and use in moderation

• Prioritize sleep

• Ascend slowly

• Takes breaks and pay attention if feeling dizzy, nauseous or out of sorts

• Make sure you eat enough

• Pace yourself when exercising

• Try not to over exert yourself

• Some people benefit from medications like Diamox but we find it unnecessary below 4000m or on short trips.

Can you Drink The Tap Water

The tap water in San Pedro and the entire Atacama region is not safe to drink. If ordering fruit juices or salads at restaurants its always safe to ask if the food is washed with purified water to avoid tummy troubles.