The Atacama Desert is one of the driest places in the world (receiving as little as 0.04 inches of rain a year!). Home to spectacular landscapes and the clearest night skies, it’s on many a travellers’ bucket list when visiting Chile and South America.
I was lucky to visit on my trip last year and would highly recommend. For those interested in visiting, here are five tips to consider when planning a trip to the Atacama Desert…
#1 Rent a car to get around
When planning a trip to the Atacama Desert, you’ll want to think about how you’ll get around. Whilst there are plenty of tour agencies in San Pedro offering trips to the Atacama’s must-see locations, the best way to explore the desert area is by hiring a car.
This is my number one tip and I really wish I had been a confident driver when I was there. Oh the freedom, flexibility, independence and fun that comes with hiring a car!
Yes, tours are a good option when the circumstances require them. They get you from A to B and it’s all very easy. I did an afternoon one for Valle de la Luna. That said, I did feel like a sheep (and not in a good way). Frustratingly, all the tour groups arrived to the places at the same time or in quick succession and it was all quite rushed which, for me, quieted the magic of the place.
I’m all for independent discovery when possible; so if you can drive and team up with fellow backpackers, do seriously think about it! Ask around, I can almost guarantee there’ll be someone wanting to team up.
One day, I joined a fellow traveller, who I’d met at Calama Airport, when she rented a car and we drove to Lagunas Escondidas. It was fantastic! We floated in the salt pools which we had almost to ourselves and were leaving when the tour groups arrived.
Being able to pull over and stop whenever we wanted to take in the landscapes and views was something I truly appreciated and being able to do so couldn’t be overestimated. At least for me, that is!
Note: You can rent cars from Calama or San Pedro. You might get a better deal in Calama but I can’t say for sure.
#2 Aim to visit when there’s not a full moon
Whether you’re an astronomer or simply a lover of epic starry night skies (like me!), the Atacama Desert is one of the best places in the world to see stars and the Milky Way. I can very much attest to that – seriously clear skies!
There are plenty of night tours to join for stargazing, or you can also walk or drive out of town to view the stars yourselves.
We can’t all be too picky when choosing dates to visit somewhere. But, if you’re keen to stargaze, you’ll want to avoid the full moon when there is too much light and the moon is too high in the sky. The absolute best time for stargazing are the days before, during and after a new moon.
My vaguely planned yet flexible backpacker schedule meant I was in the Atacama Desert nearly a week before a full moon. I joined a 10pm stargazing tour one night and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the constellations and galaxy. A 12pm tour would have been even better as the moon had lowered even more, it was almost at the horizon!
On a side note, I remember looking in awe through a telescope at what looked like one star to see it was in fact a cluster of hundreds (even thousands) of stars. I felt very tiny!
Tip: If you do end up visiting near a full moon, the later the tour the better as the moon lowers as the night progresses.
Note: Most agencies close and don’t offer tours on a full moon.
#3 Combine a trip to the Atacama with a venture into Bolivia or Argentina
It’s all length of trip dependent, but think where next? The Atacama is a perfect place to continue a South America trip.
You can head east into Argentina to Salta and the northern Jujuy region. Don’t miss the coloured mountains of El Hornocal!
Or continue into Bolivia to visit the vast expanse of the world-famous Salar de Uyuni salt flats, passing coloured lagoons and stunning landscapes on the way. In fact, San Pedro is the start or end point (travel direction depending) of many salt flat tours.
#4 If in Chile, consider flying to Calama
Chile is a very long country and distances between places are far. As a backpacker, I was very familiar with long bus journeys, often at night to avoid wasting a day.
Calama is the closest city to San Pedro and flights from Santiago to Calama are frequent. They fly multiple times a day and are usually reasonably priced. The 2hr flight is often almost the same price as the 20hr bus journey! I’d recommend checking, prices may work in your favour!
#5 Be prepared for warm and cold temperatures
Make sure you have clothes for both warm and cold moments. Think layers! This tip doesn’t just apply to the Atacama, but all deserts which are often warm in the day but very cold at night. I have clear memories of being extremely cold in the Sahara Desert, struggling to sleep and using my camel as a living hot water bottle to heat up my frozen toes.
For stargazing tours, wear layers and wrap up. Don’t underestimate the cold! Far better to be toasty warm than the opposite!
In addition to layers remember to also pack swimwear. Floating in salt pools backdropped by volcanoes and an arid desert landscape was a highlight for me!
There you have it, five tips to consider when planning a trip to the Atacama Desert. I hope it helps and I’ll update when I think of more. Click here to read more about my Atacama experience.
