San Pedro de Atacama is a Chilean town and commune in the Loa Province, of the Antofagasta Region. It is a popular tourist destination. San Pedro de Atacama grew, over centuries, around an oasis in the Atacama Desert. It is located east of Antofagasta, some 100 km southeast of Calama and the Chuquicamata copper mine, overlooking the Licancabur volcano.

The town lies at an average altitude of approximately 2,400m (7,900 ft) and visitors often experience mild altitude sickness such as diseases, lethargy and headaches. The local climate is extremely dry (with little or no rainfall recorded in the town itself) and mild, with daytime temperatures between 25-30 degrees Celsius (77-86°F) in the Summer (December to February) and 18-25 degrees Celsius (64-77°F) in the winter (June to August). Nighttime temperatures routinely drop below zero and can reach as low as –10°C (14°F) during the winter. In the past it was found that the town’s water supply was naturally contaminated with high levels of heavy metal arsenic, which leaches from adjacent salt lakes. Interestingly the indigenous population seems to have developed a natural tolerance to this otherwise toxic metal and have suffered few from the ill effects from the drinking water. Recently a filtration plant has been installed in the town, which has reduced the level of arsenic and other contaminants in the local water supply.

The Atacama Desert is a rainless plateau extending 966 km between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It was created by the rain shadow of the Andes east of the Desert. Its area is of 181,300 square kilometers, in northern Chile. It is made up of salt basins (Salares), sand, lava flows, and is more than 20 million years old and is 50 times more arid than California’s Death Valley.

Main sights :

San Pedro has a significant archeological museum: the R. P. Gustavo Le Paige Archeological Museum, with a large collection of relics and artifacts from the region.

Native ruins nearby, attract now an increasing number of tourist interested in learning about pre-Colombian cultures. Tourists also visit our town for other popular activities including: sandbording and stargazing, with the sky stars of Atacama, unrivalled across the continent.

Its church was built by Spanish in 1577. In pre-Hispanic times, before the Inca Empire, the super-arid interior was inhabited mainly by Atacameños tribes.

El Tatio, a geyser field with over 80 active geysers can be reached in a few hours by car. Because of its high altitude, its nearly non-existent cloud cover and because of its lack of light pollution, the desert is one of the best place in the world to conduct astronomical observations.

The Salar de Atacama is a giant salt area (8,000 km2) in the middle of the Atacama Desert. The Chaxas Lagoon, situated in the Atacama Salt Desert is inhabited by pink flamingos.

Pukara de Quitor (Stronghold of Quitor), is a fortification build by Atacameño people in the 12^th century to protect themselves from other indigenous populations of the area.

Puritama Hot Springs are springs of 30°C, where one can have a lovely bath.

Laguna Miscanti (Miscanti Lagoon), an altiplanic lagoon at an altitude of 4,100m (13,500ft).

Licancabur, a notable volcano near San Pedro de Atacama.