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(11) 3958-7071San Pedro de Atacama and its surroundings
It is not only its desert environment, its entertaining town and its nights with thousands of stars; there are multiple surroundings that will surprise you.
One of them is the Rainbow Valley, with hills of different colors due to the minerals and salts contained in its soils. The beige, reddish, blue, green and yellow colors provide a unique landscape that contrasts with the clarity of the sky and the mountains. It is located approximately 90 kilometers from San Pedro, in the Rio Grande river basin. In addition to the colorful hills, in the Rainbow Valley we can find rock formations of intricate shapes product of erosion. Just walking among these colorful mountains and bright rocks will make you feel like you are in a magical environment.
Near the Arcoiris Valley we find the Yerbas Buenas Petroglyphs, where you can observe the largest amount of rock art in the San Pedro area, dating back more than 1000 years. The drawings that we find in the rocks represent animals and people, some of them with Inca style. Around this area we can also discover native vegetation such as cactus and native fauna such as guanacos. If you want to climb to the heights, you cannot miss the Toco hill, located 60 kilometers southeast of San Pedro. One of its attractions is that the ALMA observatory, one of the most important astronomical projects in the world, is located here.
The altitude of Cerro Toco is over 5600 meters and the more adventurous can reach its summit, where there is usually snow and also a spectacular view of the surrounding peaks such as the Llullaillaco volcano and the Licancabur volcano. If you love trekking, another alternative is to go through the Quebrada de Guatin, located on route B-245, 30 kilometers from San Pedro. This is the same route that in another trip will allow you to reach the Geyseres del Tatio.
In La Quebrada de Guatin you will be able to make a great hike in the middle of cactus with heights that reach 7 meters, continuing along the route of the river, in the middle of waterfalls and a labyrinth of stone that gets narrower and narrower. But at the end of the road, we find our reward. The Puritama Hot Springs await us with their red walkways and pleasant pools of thermal waters at 30ºC, which invite us to rest, relax and enjoy their healing properties. The ideal panorama after a full day of adventures.
One of the most attractive surroundings of San Pedro de Atacama is the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. Due to its proximity of only 50 kilometers, from San Pedro we can cross the border through the Hito Cajón, and go deep into the Bolivian altiplano, discovering the Blanca and Verde lagoons at the foot of the Llullaillaco volcano and advancing among geysers and deserts until we get to watch the sunrise in the impressive whiteness of Uyuni, where the horizon merges with the earth.
As you can see, San Pedro has many secrets reserved for those who visit it. Dare to know new corners and live a different experience in the middle of the Chilean desert.
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