Chile - The Atacama

This is a brand new 14-day adventure named Chile - The Atacama that visits a selection of captivating sites and includes some unforgettable experiences along the way, a combination that is bound to inspire awe and leave you with memories that last long after you return home. Guided by expert Jaime Droguett, enjoy a new kind of tour with Andante in 2021 and make your return to travel one to remember. 

There are a number of wonders in the Atacama, and this tour takes you to many of them:

The Paranal Observatory. Situated in the Atacama Desert, this is a fascinating place and also served as the backdrop for part of the 2008 James Bond film, Quantum of Solace. Chile has the clearest skies in the world, so scientists from all over the world come here to work. Paranal is also home to the Very Large Telescope (VLT).

San Pedro de Atacama. A vibrant town with around 10,000 inhabitants, San Pedro de Atacama is known for its proximity to sites that include the salt flats and Valle de la Luna. 

The Atacama Salt Flats. Here, you'll understand what it was like to have a salty lake in the middle of the Andes mountain range. The salt flats always have good weather and you're bound to spot flamingos here, making it an ideal place to take some photographs.

Valle de la Luna. The Valley of the Moon is situated a short drive from San Pedro de Atacama and it is truly breathtaking. The stone and sand formations to be seen here have been created by water and wind, and it looks somewhat similar to the surface of the moon.  

Stargazing. Boasting one of the clearest night skies on Earth, the Atacama is the perfect place to sit back and look up. Its dry climate and height, along with the fact that it is home to the important Paranal Observatory, means that people consider this location to provide a peak stargazing experience.  

The Ayquina Festival. This event takes place over three days and dancers in brightly coloured costumes perform for up to 20 hours per day while it's in session. A festival very much for locals, it is a social activity that you won't find many tourists attending. The festival celebrates the apparition of the Virgin Mary to a child in the village of Ayquina.

The Pan-American Highway. Stretching from the top of Alaska to the tip of Tierra del Fuego, the PAH is a bucket-list road experience for many and we travel along part of it on this tour. 

Pintados Geoglyphs. The ancient rock art on display here is preserved by the scarcity of rain in Pampa del Tamarugal, and the geoglyphs comprise the largest collection of its kind in all of South America.

The Pica Oasis. There's a geological fault here that means water comes from the earth to create this surprising little oasis. It is also home to some amazing fruit production and the area specialises in small, acidic lemons – regarded for their use in the delicious pisco sour cocktail. Additionally, the town has a communal spring with rejuvenating warm waters. 

The Chinchorro Mummies. These are the oldest artificially preserved bodies in the world - 2,000 years older than Egyptian mummies - and we pay a visit to see them. 

Humberstone. This is an abandoned town that now has UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Humberstone is a former mining town that has now become an open-air museum, and it has been well-preserved due to the dry air.

The Atacama Giant. The largest ancient anthropomorphic geoglyph in the world. At 86 metres high, the Atacama Giant is believed to have been built by inhabitants of the area between 900 to 1,450 AC.

A vineyard tour and wine-tasting in the Casablanca Valley. One thing to know about Chile is that its wine production is fantastic and we couldn't bring you here without letting you experience it for yourself. 

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