Atacama Desert

A riding expedition in the Atacama Desert of Chile where the breathtaking vistas extend to the far horizon, itself ringed with high Andean peaks on the one side and the vast empty desert void on the other. We ride on excellent horses that are ridden in the distinctive Chilean style that you will be introduced to by our riding guide Bernardo on the first day. Bernardo competes on the local and regional rodeo circuit with his horses and knows a thing or two about horsemanship that he might be willing to show you! This style of riding is very different from that of the next-door gauchos in Argentina.

Here the changing light conditions, especially at dawn and dusk, provide excellent opportunities for taking spectacular landscape photographs.

The Atacama Desert is the driest region in the world, so it is surprising to find an extensive verdant oasis at San Pedro de Atacama fed by rivers rising in the high Bolivian Andes. Just to the South of San Pedro one finds the huge Salar de Atacama, a dry salt pan - although with a few super-saturated salt water pools in which one floats partially submerged like in the Dead Sea; at the edge of which we make our first camp on the ride.

San Pedro town itself is completely different from any other found in Chile, retaining it's Bolivian character of single-story adobe houses lining narrow dirt streets. Although a high-altitude location the temperatures during the summer around San Pedro rise into the 40s centigrade and the adobe construction is ideally suited to maintaining a comfortable interior climate. The town is rustic and charming, a hive of tourism activity, boasting amongst other attractions a very interesting museum of local history containing a grand quantity of archaeological remains and cultural artefacts created by the previous Indian civilisations existing in the area up to time of the Spanish Conquest, an adobe church, and a large town plaza, along with the many hotels and restaurants catering to the tourist trade.

Our Atacama Desert Ride starts and ends in San Pedro de Atacama.

Itinerary

Day 2
After an early breakfast we check out of our lodgings and start the ride. We ride through the streets of San Pedro in the best western movie style, heading North to the San Pedro river valley. At an old bull drovers track we turn West, climbing for a short while to the entrance of an old tunnel dug through a ridge. Riding through in the dark we emerge into the brilliant daylight of the open desert to continue our ride up along a ridge that overlooks some spectacularly eroded hills as well as the entire area of the San Pedro oasis and it's surrounding desert and mountains.
Then, dropping off the edge of the ridge and down into loose sand we canter down the slope to meet our crew waiting with refreshing cool drinks and lunch at the bottom, aptly named el Valle de la Muerte (Valley of Death). We take some time out for a rest, before continuing South to the Laguna Cejas, riding for several more hours. By the time we reach our tents at the camp we have ridden for at least 7 hours.
You can swim or rather float around in the salt water of the lagoon and at the same time admire the view towards the symmetrical snow covered 5916m high Licancabur volcano right next to 5976m Sairecabur mountain and Lascar volcano at 5154m. Dinner around the campfire. Overnight in fly camp.

Day 3
We break camp after breakfast and the riders head for the Valley of the Moon. Lunch stop at midday with siesta. The ride continues in the afternoon exploring the desert towards the Piedra de la Coca, the location where we meet our camp and support crew once more. Petroglyph rock paintings add interest to the site. Today we ride for at least 8 hours. Overnight in fly camp. This llama caravan site was part of a vital Inca trade route exchanging Andean produce such as potatoes and quinoa for dried sea-foods.

Day 4
The riders climb towards Matancilla located high above the oasis of San Pedro and to the North. We stop for lunch and a rest at midday at the petroglyphs of Hierbas Buenas, place or rest for the old llama trading caravans that crossed the desert from Argentina with supplies for the saltpetre mines near Antofagasta. 8 hours riding. Camp at Matancilla where time and weather have oxidised the different desert minerals into a myriad of pastel colours.

Day 5
Following breakfast in camp we ride out to explore the vicinity of Matancilla. Lunch back in camp. After a rest we continue in the afternoon riding to Rio Grande village located in a deep canyon near where the next camp awaits. 6 hours on horseback today.

Day 6
The last day's 7 hours of riding takes us from Rio Grande back again across the open desert to San Pedro de Atacama. We start out enjoying an extra hearty breakfast before packing lunch in saddlebags as we will not be meeting our support crew at midday. Instead we will press onwards in order to get back to the horse stables at around 4 or 5pm, and so leaving time for a clean up, some packing, etc. before we celebrate a successful completion of the Atacama Desert Ride with a joint dinner with our guides and crew. Overnight in hotel accommodation in San Pedro de Atacama.

Day 7
Breakfast in the hotel. Checkout, transfer drive to Calama airport for the return flight to Santiago.

Summary

Price guide per person for 4-10 riders

Quality horses
Fast riding pace
Accommodation

Dramatic scenery
Good weather
Cultural interest