In the world’s driest desert, the Atacama, admire the bright Milky Way, the azure salt lakes, the vibrant flamingos, and experience the lunar landscape.
For this trip, we chose to rent a car for a self-driving tour. The weather in Calama in August was very good, and the road conditions were excellent, providing a great self-driving experience. However, since one of our companions was pregnant, we focused on a more relaxed itinerary, avoiding several high-altitude attractions.
Day 1:
✈️ Santiago – Calama (11:43-13:48), check into the hotel, stroll around the town, and book a stargazing tour.
🌌 Join the stargazing tour, pick up from the hotel at 20:45, return to the hotel at 24:00, the whole process takes about 3 hours (Photos 2-3)
Day 2:
🚗 Self-drive to visit the salt lake, flamingos, and Moon Valley, navigation route: Hotel – Laguna Cejar – Laguna Chaxa Park – Moon Valley
➡️ Laguna Cejar, known as the “Dead Sea of the Desert,” where you can float in the lake (Photos 4-5)
➡️ Laguna Chaxa Park, get close to the pink flamingos (Photos 6-9)
➡️ Moon Valley, a lunar substitute, with 4-5 stops.
Hiking enthusiasts should reserve more time. The first stop has two viewpoints, taking about 50 minutes to hike, and the second stop takes about 90 minutes. Only by hiking inside can you see the most spectacular desert scenery. Afterward, drive to the sunset viewing point in Moon Valley, where you can see the beautiful scene of the sunset glow on the volcano (Photos 10-14)
Day 3: ✈️ Calama – Santiago
📎 Tips:
🚗 Car Rental: Booked a car from Chilean company in advance on Booking (full insurance). You can find the rental car company right after exiting the airport hall. Show your passport, driver’s license, pay the deposit, and you can get the car. Note to download offline maps in advance, as there is no signal from Calama to Atacama.
It takes about 1.5 hours to drive from Calama Airport to San Pedro de Atacama.
🔭 Stargazing: Found a travel agency in the town and booked a stargazing tour for that night (the moon was at a larger tilt angle on the day of arrival, making it the best time for stargazing). The cost for two people paid in cash was 63,000 CLP.
The hotel pickup was at 20:45, and the moment the car lights turned off, the clear and bright starry sky was immediately visible. The two photos of the galaxy were taken with an iPhone, without adjusting any parameters or retouching (I’m a beginner).
🏨 Hotel: Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás, the accommodation was good, but the restaurant was not.
