El Loa Airport is the airport in Calama, and it is the gateway to the Atacama Desert. In the area, tourists stay in San Pedro de Atacama. Do not stay in Calama as this is a very dangerous city. We were advised to get out right away and head to San Pedro and to not even stop for gas. The drive from the airport to San Pedro de Atacama, is 1 hour and 15 minutes. To get from Calama to San Pedro de Atacama by bus, you can use the company Atacama 2000, which operates services every four hours for approximately $5 USD and takes about 1.5 hours. Tickets are available for purchase, and you can also arrange private transfers, which may be booked through sites like SanPedroAtacama.com