Best things to do in San Pedro de Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama (SPDA) is a small town located in the northern part of Chile. It developed between an oasis and an arid high plateau. Its origin comes from 1450 and its first inhabitant were the Atacamenos, whose work were basketwork and ceramic pottery crafts. SPDA was a part of Bolivia until the War of the Pacific. It now has around 4000 inhabitants.
The town is located at 2 400m altitude with temperature going from 0°C to 28°C. It is the perfect place to discover the Moon Valley and end your amazing Uyuni tour.
In this article, we will share with you everything you need to know about San Pedro de Atacama.
Table of Contents
Where to stay in San Petro de Atacama
If you are looking for an accommodation in SPDA, we would recommend the following (we personally stayed at Hostel Montepardo):
- (€): Casa Voyage Hostel
- (€€) Hostal Montepardo
- (€€€) Hotel Desertica
San Pedro de Atacama in 1 day
Our adventure in Chile was continuiting. From what it seems in San Pedro de Atacama everything open around 9am. No need to rush out. After waking up and stretching we had breakfast at Hostal Montepardo before getting ready and start walking around the city.
The day before we visited the Moon valley for sunset, so today, we will explore San Petro de Atacama. To make our explore of San Pedro de Atacama in 1 day, we do a half day walking through the city and a half day biking.
Best things to do in San Pedro de Atacama
Explore town
San Pedro de Atacama is a small town, so the best way to explore it is to stroll and hang around the streets as well as the shops in the main street.
The main place is the perfect spot for a break, lay on a bench and enjoy the calmness of the town before entering the old church.
It is a Catholic church constructed in the Spanish colonial period and declared a historical monument in 1951. It has undergone many renovations through the ages. Plus, it is not the original church of the town that was built 100 years before but replace by the Spaniard. The main feature of the church is the material used to build it. Algarrobo wood and Cardon (cactus wood) bound together with Llama leather.
Perfect time for an Americano and a slice of pie at “Salon de Té 02”. Great cake and cozy ambiance. You won’t miss it as it is located in the main street.
Pukará de Quitor
After enjoying a quiet morning, time to go back to the hostel and pick up bicycles to get to Pukara de Quitor. Many hostels will provide you with free bike to go to the city center, if not you can easily rent them in town. As we were only going to Pukara de Quitor our hostel allowed us to use their bikes, but if you wish to go further, it would be better to rent good bicycle.
Head north of the town and follow the road straight. To cross the river at the end of town, use the small bridge on the left. A good way not to get lost is to have the offline map in google map or any offline map. You won’t miss “Pukará de Quitor” a pre-Colombian stone fortress with a gorgeous view of the area. At the entrance of the site, you have a spot to park the bike. Then you can buy a ticket directly there and start hiking.
It takes 20min (4km one way) by bike on a bumpy road to reach the fortress then it is an 1h easy hike up to a Mirador followed by 30min down. The landscape is really amazing and completely worth the effort. There are WCs in the site after the ticket office.
Devil's Throat
After Pukara de Quitor, we would have liked to go further north to the Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo) which is 4km from Pukará de Quitor but we were running out of time so headed back.
Located just outside the town of San Pedro de Atacama, in the heart of the Atacama Desert, Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna) is one of Chile’s most surreal and breathtaking natural landscapes. The valley’s otherworldly terrain, with its striking rock formations, towering dunes, and unique salt flats, makes it feel like you’ve stepped onto the surface of the moon, which is how the valley earned its name.
Everything else there is to do
All the Excursions
By tour (Bookable from your hostel or online)
- Valle de la Luna (Moon valley) Sunset tour : 1/2 day tour from 2:45pm to 7:00pm. Visit of the salt mines, salt caverns, Three Marias, great dune and Coyote Stone. That the tour we did, if you want to know more here is a complete articile.
- Moon valley Stargazing Tour: 2h tour from 8:00pm to 9:30pm or 9:40pm to 11:30pm. Only available if there is no full moon.
- Geyser del Tatio: 1/2 day tour from 5:00am to noon. Visit of the geothermal field, thermal pool, Putana and Machuca.
- Piedras Rojas: 1 day tour from 7:00am to 6:00pm. Visit of the Miscanti and Miñique lagoons, Salar de Talar, and the Atacameño village of Socair.
- Baltinache Lagoons and Magic Bus Tour: 1/2 day tour from 2pm to 7pm: 7 hidden lagoons of Baltinache and see the crystal-clear waters among rock and sand formations on a guided trip from San Pedro de Atacama
- Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride: Lift off into the sky for a balloon flight across the Atacama desert. Feel the world at your feet as the sun rises behind the Licancabur Volcano and paints the Atacama mountain range in light.
Timing may change also based on the tour company. Those are only one example.
By bike
There are many things to do around SPDA. You can either use a bike or a tour. Note that you will need to add the price of renting a bike or the entrance fee for some national park.
- Valle de la Luna: 54km total (West of SPDA) Up/down: 300m
- Valle de la Muerte: 20km total (North of SPDA) (Pukara de Quitor, Garganta del diablo, Iglesia de San Isidro. Up/down: 100m
- Laguna Cejar y Piedras: 38 km total (South of SPDA) up/down: 115m
- Laguna Tebenquiche: 63km total. (Further south than the Laguna Cejar y Piedras) Up/down: 135m
Transportation & Airport
The only airport to get in or out of San Pedro de Atacama is El Lia Airport (CJC) in Calama town.
We had arranged a taxi to pick us up around 1/1:30pm from the hostel to the airport, one day prior our flight. The taxi (a minivan of 7pax + driver) arrived at 1:43pm. So it took a total of 1h10.
We arrived at 2:53pm at the airport in Calama and it cost us 12 000cu per person.
The other option would have been the bus for 8 000cu but it is less flexible and slower so for 4000 more we went for the van.
Check-in in Calama airport was really quick, the airport was empty, and it took 5min to drop of our bags and check-in.
We flew with Sky airline. The plane was a really new Airbus A320, the legs space was great, there were USBs for each seat. Seats are comfortable even though they do not recline and We landed on time
How to Spend 2 days in SPDA
Day 1: Arrival and Sunset Moon Valley Tour
- Morning/Afternoon: Arrival: Arrive in San Pedro de Atacama and check into your accommodation.
- Late Afternoon: Sunset Moon Valley Tour: Head out for a tour to Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna). Explore its unique rock formations, giant sand dunes, and salt flats. Watch the stunning sunset over the desert’s colorful landscapes.
- Evening: Dinner in San Pedro: Return to town and enjoy a relaxing dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 2: Explore the Town and Pukará de Quitor
- Morning: Stroll Around San Pedro: Take a morning walk around San Pedro’s charming streets. Visit the Church of San Pedro.
- •Afternoon: Bike to Pukará de Quitor: Rent a bike and head to Pukará de Quitor, an ancient fortress with incredible views of the desert. Spend time exploring the ruins before biking back to town.
- Evening: Relax: End your day with a leisurely dinner, reflecting on your time in this magical place.
“Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by.” – Robert Frost
