Chile: from the Atacama to Tierra del Fuego

Chile is a land of desert landscapes, natural wonders and delicious wine! It stretches along the Pacific coast of South America and combines scenic nature and incredible sights on its territory. Legend tells us that after the creation of the world, God was left with the clearest lakes and mesmerising glaciers, high mountains and rushing rivers, volcanoes, forests, beaches, fjords, valleys and deserts. It brought all these beautiful elements together in one amazing place – exactly where Chile is today. Travellers should come here to enjoy the natural beauty, uncover the secrets of the statues on Easter Island, taste the local culinary delights, walk through cosy villages, the Atacama Desert and endless salt marshes. This trip will definitely have a “spice” you won’t forget!

Day 1. Arrival to the airport of Antofagasta city. This is one of the largest cities in the north of Chile, from where our journey around the country will start. Transfer to the hotel. Dinner and instructing the group. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2. Today we will go to the symbol of these lands – La Portada Gate. It is a forty metre long natural arch of snow-white stone on the shore, with the bases going into the emerald waters of the Pacific Ocean. Over thousands of years, sedimentary rocks have been eroded by wind and sea surf, forming the bizarre shapes of these cliffs. After admiring the scenery, we head to San Pedro. A small Chilean village in the heart of one of the driest deserts in the world, the Atacama. The village is incredibly colourful, with traditional clay buildings and dirt roads leading to one of the highest active volcanoes on earth! San Pedro de Atacama is also one of the few places in the country where you can taste real chilli peppers, here they are particularly hot. Next we’ll go to the sculpture of the Desert Hand. It seems like a mirage, as if a creature covered in sands is praying for help. This monument symbolises man’s vulnerability to nature, but at the same time it reminds us of life in the desolate expanses of the Atacama. The evening will be extremely romantic as we head out to look at the stars in the largest telescope park in the Southern Hemisphere. Combined with the incredible skies found only in deserts, this place is unique in astronomy tourism. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee a visit – tours are not possible during the full moon (and +/- 2 nights from it), nor in bad weather. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 3. Today we will discover a unique place Yerbas-Buenas valley, where three mountain ranges Domeyko, Salt and the main Andean range intersect at once. Here we will see petroglyphs from different eras depicting llamas, flamingos, foxes and other wildlife. Then our journey will continue to the Rainbow Valley, where we will discover colourful landscapes of mountains with ancient cacti growing on them, and we will almost certainly meet the main inhabitants of these places – the ancestors of modern llamas – guanacos. Finally, our itinerary will take us to Rio Grande, a town known for its master ceramists, garlic and onion farmers, and served as a staging point for the llama caravan crossings between San Pedro and Chui Chui. After a little rest at the hotel, close to sunset we will drive to Moon Valley, perhaps the most unusual place on earth! This is where most science fiction films about life on Mars were filmed, and NASA tests its lunar and Mars rovers here. During the full moon, fans of esoteric teachings and cults from all over the world gather in the valley to replenish their magical energy. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 4. At dawn we will have to leave for Tatio Volcano, a geothermal field where we will see geysers, fumaroles and mud pools. The word “Tatio” means “Weeping Old Man” in the language of the Indians who once inhabited these slopes. The geysers are located more than 4,000 metres above sea level. Fountains of hot water appear in the early morning from 6:00 to 7:00 hours. At this time the fumaroles of water and steam are at their maximum and hundreds of “puddles” of boiling water present a spectacular sight. On the way back to San Pedro de Atacama we will enjoy panoramic views near the village of Machuca. Afterwards we will drive to the largest salt marsh in South America, the Salar de Atacama. This is Chile’s answer to the better known Uyuni salt marsh in Bolivia. In the middle of the salt marsh in an oasis we will swim in the Sugar Lagoon. A fabulously beautiful place: turquoise water, snow-white salt cover of the land and a towering volcano on the horizon! The water here is so salty that bathing in the usual format is impossible, the water pushes the body to the surface like a cork. At the end of the busy day we will go to meet the sunset in Tebinkinci Lagoon. Just imagine: to walk on the crisp salt carpet, to see the mirror-clear reflection in the water surface and how the colours of the setting sun transform the space around! Overnight at the hotel.
Day 5. In the morning head south from San Pedro de Atacama and our first stop is Toconao. This is an old Chilean liparite stone settlement with winding streets, old souvenir shops, old fig, pear, apricot, quince orchards and shops in the middle of the desert. From here we will hike to the Jerez Gorge – this place, thanks to the microclimate and the waters that come down from the mountain range, is fertile and makes this area one of the greenest places in the desert. Later we will visit some beautiful lagoons of the Altiplano, surrounded by many high volcanoes, and one of the most spectacular places of the Atacama, the Piedras Rojas or Red Stones. Finally, we will reach the National Reserve in the Chaxa Lagoon where we will see flamingos in their natural habitat. In the afternoon, we will return to San Pedro de Atacama to fly to Santiago, the capital of Chile, where our journey will continue. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 6. Morning flight to Easter Island. One of the most remote and mysterious stretches of land in the Pacific Ocean, also known as Rapa Nui. This place is famous around the world for its stone statues with stern faces, known as moai statues. For a century, archaeologists and anthropologists have been unable to unravel the mysteries of these statues. We will arrive in Hanga Roa, the main village of the island, where we will eat our first ceviche. We will walk around the village, enjoy the view of the sea and visit the archaeological site of Tahai, where we will find several ahu, platforms on which the Rapa Nui worshipped their ancestors. Here we will also see the first two lonely moai (those famous stone statues of Easter Island), one of which is the only one with eyes on the island. We will finish the day with gastronomic delights in local restaurants. In the evening we will go to a small cove where they sell delicious ice-cream, enjoy the view of the sunset and if we are lucky we will see small turtles. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 7. In the morning we will meet the sunrise over Ahu Tongariki, this place is the largest of the ceremonial sites on the island, it is here that fifteen moai rise with their backs to the ocean. This is one of the most famous viewpoints on the island. Nearby is the volcano and the Rano-Raraku quarry. It is where the famous statues were carved. All day we will enjoy the amazing panoramas of Ahu Tongariki and breathtaking ocean views. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 8. In the morning we will enjoy our last breakfast on Easter Island and head to the airport. Flight to Santiago. Known as the city of the conquistadors and home of poet Pablo Neruda. From a traveller’s point of view, Santiago is ideal – all the attractions of this city are concentrated in its historic centre! The Plaza de Armas is lined with government buildings lining the perimeter, grand and quite old, a glimpse of which gives an idea of the colonial style of the Spanish period. In the evening we have dinner at the best restaurant in Santiago – Aqui esta Coco, which specialises in seafood and has a wine cellar of five thousand bottles. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 9. Flight to Puerto Natales. This small town in the very south of Chile is sometimes called the “gateway” to the wilderness, because it serves as the starting point for several tourist routes at once. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 10. Today we will head to Chile’s Torres del Paine or “Blue Towers” national park. The national park is huge, with glaciers, mountains, lakes, rivers, and amazingly beautiful. Its stunning views will delight even the most discerning traveller. Despite its remoteness and relative inaccessibility, it is one of the most famous national parks in Latin America and the most popular park in Chile. We will spend the whole day walking in these dizzying landscapes. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 11. Transfer to El Calafte – a small town in Argentina, also called the capital of glaciers. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 12. In the morning we will head to Perito Moreno. This is the most popular glacier in the vicinity of El Calafate. Tourists from all over the world come here to see this ice giant. Perito Moreno contains the third largest fresh water reserve on Earth. Its tongue is 5 km wide, its area is 250 km² and its height above the surface of the lake reaches 60 metres. Perito Moreno attracts attention not only for its impressive size, but also for its unique colouring – fresh ice rocks on its surface play with blue and turquoise shades. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 13. Departure to Ushuaia, the southernmost city on the planet, which is located on the island of Tierra del Fuego. This rugged land was once inhabited by the Yamana Indians. This is where Charles Darwin sailed and recorded his observations. The most dangerous recidivist criminals from all over Argentina were exiled here. And now travellers from all over the world come here to see the edge of the world, because further away there is only the ice of Antarctica. By the way, the locals’ place of birth says “End of the World”. And this place has something to surprise us: stunning beauty of nature, unique museums, exquisite local cuisine and fantastically beautiful sunrise, which cannot be compared with any other in the world! Overnight at the hotel.
Day 14. Motorboat trip across the Beagle Strait to Martillo Island to experience the absolutely childlike delight of walking with penguins and seeing them up close! You can admire penguins endlessly, very funny and curious birds, not afraid of people at all, On the way back we will visit the maritime museum to learn the history of exploration of these lands. In the evening we will have a festive dinner to celebrate the end of the grandiose journey, where we will taste the local gaucho cuisine – asado (meat on a spit). Overnight at the hotel.
Day 15. Transfer to Ushuaia airport. Flight home