Adventure on the Chilean Altiplano

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Arica - village of Socoroma - Putre.

  Under a spring-like climate, a short walk through the city of Arica, from your hotel or hostel to the Terminal Agropecuario Asoagro, will fascinate you. You will be charmed by the unparalleled beauty of its beaches; you will discover the Anzota Caves and Rock (Cavernas y Roqueríos de Anzota), shelters where the Chinchorro lived for millennia. This journey will end at the impetuous Morro of Arica, whose panoramic view of the city will surprise you. At the Asoagro Terminal, the main supply hub of Chile's northern gateway, you can wander through the typical Arica market, created 19 years ago by the merchants and producers themselves, in the middle of the coastal desert. You will discover the various local products, such as the black olives of Azapa, offered by the fertile valleys of the region and neighboring countries, highlighting a common cultural matrix of the Altiplano. Next, you will discover the jewel of northern Chile, the prodigious Azapa Valley (Valle de Azapa), an oasis renowned for its archaeological site that presents more than 10,000 years of history. You will be able to contemplate surprising geoglyphs located on the slopes of small arid hills typical of the desert, including the famous Sombrero Hill (Cerro Sombrero) which offers the first drawings of this rock art. You will appreciate the Tropilla geoglyphs, which display natural, human, and geometric forms, and whose group of represented camelids enchants and creates a mysticism accentuated, in the foreground, by two characters with supernatural attributes. You will then appreciate the Sacred Hill (Cerro Sagrado), which, for its part, presents geoglyphs of mythological characters with animal figures. This hill offers a wide range of geoglyphs that you can observe from the Las Llosyas panoramic site and from where you will also enjoy a panoramic view of the agricultural riches of the Azapa Valley. In the Archaeological Museum of San Miguel de Azapa (Museo Arqueológico de San Miguel de Azapa), you can appreciate one of the most revealing archaeological collections in Chile, the oldest mummies in the world dating back 10,000 years and belonging to the Chinchorro (5,000 BC) and pre-Inca cultures. In the Lluta Valley (Valle de Lluta), where the only river in the region, the Lluta River, which originates in the High Cordillera, flows into the sea, you will admire the strong contrasts between its deep green waters and the steep bare slopes of the valley. Once again, you will appreciate vast discontinuous panels of geoglyphs with anthropomorphic and animal representations, beautiful examples of the rock art tradition. A break will take you to the main locality of this valley, Poconchile, a village of pre-Inca origin and surrounded by alfalfa fields. In this small village stands the Basilica San Gerónimo, a National Monument, whose great beauty has been preserved since the 17th century. You will continue your journey towards the Ravine of the Thistles (Quebrada de los Cardones), where the candelabra cactus thistles grow, typical desert vegetation. These shrubs, considered the green jewel of the Altiplano flora, grow naturally at more than 1,700 meters of altitude. It is their branches located on their upper part and giving them a candelabra appearance that give them their name. You will then discover the Pukara de Copaquilla, one of the most important archaeological sites in the region, declared a National Monument. It is located on the esplanade of a rocky and steep promontory that drops about 150 meters to the bottom of the ravine of the same name and from where you can distinguish the point of origin of the Lluta valley. You will arrive at Tambo Sapahuira, an essential stop on tourist circuits, for those who want to discover some typical dishes of the Chilean Altiplano gastronomy. The excursion towards the northern Altiplano of Chile will pass through the village of Socoroma, of pre-Columbian origin, characterized by its admirable architecture and cultivated terraces. This first day will end in the village of Putre, gateway to the wonderful world of altitude.

• day 2

  Putre - Lauca National Park - Chungara Lake - Putre

  You will leave Putre to head towards Lauca National Park, which covers an area of 137,833 hectares and is a Biosphere Reserve of the Precordillera and Altiplano of the Arica and Parinacota region. To access the wonderful world of altitude, a short walk in the Grottes Sector is a must, one of the most fascinating trails in this natural paradise at 4,300 meters above sea level, where you may have the chance to spot one of those viscachas that usually only appear very early in the morning or at sunset. But what makes this little trek especially precious is the mystical feeling that this place produces, as it already hosted the first indigenous peoples nine thousand years ago. Along the way, you can, with a panoramic view from the Chucuyo Viewpoint, observe and appreciate the wonders of a unique ecosystem with an amazing fauna and flora. You will also visit the picturesque village of Parinacota, declared a National Monument, where you can appreciate the traditional architecture: old houses and a characteristic church, simple adobe constructions but of great heritage value, as they preserve the remains of a colonial past and the deep religiosity that maintains the treasure of Aymara culture. In addition, you will visit the Cotacotani Lagoons Viewpoint, in the midst of a diverse and exclusive fauna, where flamingos, ducks, vicuñas, viscachas, and taguas stand out. The route will lead you to one of the most beautiful attractions of Lauca National Park: Lake Chungara, one of the highest in the world, located at 4,500 meters above sea level, whose hypnotic magic leaves thousands of tourists speechless every year, reflecting the blue sky and the summit of the Parinacota volcano in its crystal-clear waters. Facing the lake, the famous Payachatas (twin) volcanoes stand out, whose mythical magic has given them various interpretations, including that they guard an Inca treasure or that they represent a couple of lovers. The journey passes through Chucuyo, an ancient locality of pre-Columbian origin, unique in the area, where you will enjoy a rich typical Altiplano lunch. Your second day of the tour will end with a bath in the hot volcanic waters. The Jurasi Hot Springs, which emerge in the middle of a ravine, are highly attractive to hundreds of travelers due to their medicinal power to treat rheumatism. Finally, after enjoying beautiful colors, diverse landscapes, and regaining strength with a fascinating thermal bath, you will take the road back to Putre.

• day 3

  Putre - Las Vicuñas National Reserve - Salar de Surire - Isluga Volcano National Park - Colchane

  The circuit begins in Putre, the capital of the province of Parinacota, in Region XV of Chile, a beautiful village exemplary of the culture of the Andean highlands. The route heads towards the "Las Vicuñas" National Reserve which, as its name suggests, was created to protect the vicuñas. The flora and fauna of this place are very attractive and rich in diversity. You will also be able to discover charming hamlets such as Ancuta and Guallatire, 83 km from Putre, on the plateau facing the Guallatiri volcano, which stands out for its snow-capped, white and pure summit. The route continues towards the most captivating destination of this circuit, whose vast area is located at 4,200 m altitude: the Salar de Surire, a National Monument, stands out for its imposing majesty. The presence of salt deposits offers to amazed eyes a landscape of intense white color that contrasts with the purified azure and the turquoise tones of its lagoons. The Salar de Surire, in all its expanse, also has the privilege of sheltering several precious species such as the rhea, the flamingo, the vicuña, the alpaca, and the llama, among others. At noon, the sun floods the surface of the Salar with incredible brightness. After fully enjoying the beauty of this wild natural place, the panoramic views of flamingos feeding in the lagoons or in flight, the time will come to savor a delicious picnic in the Polloquere hot springs, from where you can perceive all the enchanting magic of this circuit. You will continue towards one of the other attractions of this privileged part of Chile, the "Volcan Isluga" National Park, located at more than 4,000 m altitude. This will be the opportunity to cross the trails of the desert Altiplano or the pampa and to observe the beauty of the "Tamarugal" (a group of trees typical of this area, the "tamarugo"). The diversity of natural environments will allow you to appreciate the beauty of the high plateau desert that stands out within this park or that of the Arabilla Lagoon, surrounded by a unique tundra and groves of quinoa. This area is inhabited by several species of birds typical of these places. You will visit Enquelga and Isluga, Altiplano communities built in a natural setting that highlights all their splendor. These communities are surrounded by a steppe where llamas and vicuñas abound. Particularly interesting, the church of the hamlet of Isluga, built of adobe, dates from the 17th century and stands out for its beauty. This third day will end in Colchane, a border village between Chile and Bolivia, at about 3,750 m altitude, rich in its Aymara culture.

• day 4

  Colchane - Cariquima - Pica

  Breakfast at 8 o'clock. Departure in the morning from Colchane. From the border area of the village, you will be able to observe not far from there, on the slopes of Mount Ancovinto, a wooded area of giant cacti over 10 m tall, extraordinary places that only this plain at 3,700 m altitude can offer you. You will then arrive at Cariquima, a different model of ancestral Aymara life. It is the central meeting point for indigenous communities, known for centuries for the skill of the village's artisan weavers. You will discover the largest representation of a human being in the world: the Atacama Giant (El Gigante de Atacama), located on the slopes of Mount Unita (Cerro Unita), a few kilometers from the village of Huara. It is an enigmatic geoglyph of the desert, an archaic marvel that attracts hundreds of tourists. The Atacama Giant is considered one of the most impressive archaeological attractions in northern Chile. You will appreciate the largest prehistoric anthropomorphic silhouette in the world: this giant is 86 meters tall and leaves the image of a pre-Inca man traced thanks to the accumulation of stones and the wear of the terrain. The mysticism surrounding this humanoid representation has several visual interpretations. You can have your own as well, but it is said that it represents a deity created by the ancestral cultures that inhabited the region between 1000 and 1400 BC. The route is located in Huara, a place with excellent climatic and geographical conditions, which provide landscapes suitable for adventure tourism, ecotourism, and agrotourism. It is here that you can enjoy a good lunch, during which you will also discover the culinary aspect of this area. You will continue to the most fascinating saltpeter works in Chile. The saltpeter offices of Santiago, Humberstone, and Santa Laura are built in the middle of the driest desert in the world and were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. These ghost towns have become tourist sites visited by hundreds of travelers each year. Rust, ruins, and debris symbolize the beauty and silence of these former saltpeter works. You will end this fourth day of the tour with your arrival around 7 p.m. in one of the most beautiful places in northern Chile, Pica. This oasis in the middle of the desert results from a unique and very attractive ecosystem, master of different environments such as the Pampa, the Altiplano, and the Cordillera. Accommodation in a guesthouse.

• day 5

  Pica - Painted geoglyphs - Desert - San Pedro de Atacama

  You will depart from Pica, enjoying the exclusive oasis of this remarkable country known for its radiant sunshine, to visit one of the most important archaeological heritage sites: the Geoglyph Paintings. You will appreciate these places, unique in this part of the world, which highlight the unparalleled beauty of Rock Art, with around 400 figures spread over 66 panels representing men, animals, places, and abstract designs. Without a doubt, this visit will amaze your eyes with the true meaning of this ancestral culture. After recharging thanks to the wonders of this oasis of contrasts, you will cross one of the most impressive wooded areas of the Atacama Desert: the Pampa del Tamarugal National Reserve, which has the privilege of being surrounded by precious Salt Flats and enjoying exceptional brightness. Within this reserve, you will have the pleasure of appreciating some 24,000 hectares of artificial Tamarugo plantations and, if you are lucky, you may observe some small reptiles typical of this place, which survive the drought and aridity of this grand desert. Later, you will pass through the small village of Quillagua, this famous oasis located on the banks of the Loa River, which has various crops and a village where a church, a railway station, and the border post stand out. According to National Geographic, Quillagua is the driest place on Earth. Thus, you will have the opportunity to discover a very small place, but which, at the same time, represents the driest portion of the planet. Finally, after enjoying these fabulous places of great cultural interest, you will cross the desert until you reach the striking and desert town of San Pedro de Atacama, where your excursion will end.