Explorations 

  explora en Atacama  

Hikes
Traveling through Atacama
Traveling through history
Horseback riding
Bicycling
Climbing hills and volcanoes

A.  Hikes

1.  Catarpe
Duration: 2½ - 3 hours.  Itinerary:  Quebrada del Diablo - Valle Quitor - Tambo Catarpe. Easy.
 

2.  Quebrada del Diablo
Duration: 2½ - 3 hours.  Itinerary:  Vilama.   Medium.

3.  Valle de la Muerte
Duration: 2½ - 3 hours.  Itinerary:  Valle de Quitor, visit Pukará de Quitor.  Medium

4.  Chulacao
Duration: 2 hours.  Itinerary:  Mine and its surroundings.  Medium.

5.  To Termas de Puritama
Duration:  2½ hours. of hiking.  Itinerary:   Arrival to hot springs, picnic buffet and possibility to bathe.  Medium.

6.  Las Cornisas
 Duration: 2½ - 3 hours.  Medium

7.  Rio Grande*
Duration:  1½ hours by van to Machuca.  On foot 5 to 6 hours (includes picnic).  Coming back 1½ hours by van.  Medium

8.  By The Foothills Of The Láscar At 4.500 Meters (14,800 feet)*    Duration and itinerary:  Departure: 8 a.m. By van 2½ hours. to Salar de Tara, then to Laguna Lejía, picnic at an altitude of   4.200 meters.  Ascension by van to Volcán Lascar at an altitude of   4.500 meters.   Descending on foot for and 2½  hours.  Views.   Medium.  Second Option:  On foot  between Tumbre and Talabre Viejo 2½ hours. Easy
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9.  Valle de la Luna
Duration:  ½ - 1 hour.  Only on full moon.  Easy.  Note:   This exploration is only programmed for moonlighted nights.

10.  Walk Through The Ayllus
  At Solor or Sequitor or Cucuter.

*Both  hikes are also within the concept of traveling in Atacama which is the idea of the explorations of Group B.

B.  Traveling Through Atacama

The extended territory and its different points of interest allow excursions in small groups by van, that last half or one day.  These excursions capture profound landscapes, natural events and inhabited places that bare the ingredients and surprises that make the experience unforgettable.

1. Callejón  de Varela
Itinerary:  Departure at 7:00 A.M. to Laguna Lejia - Breakfast.   Picnic at Salar de Aguas Calientes at 4.000mts. Visit Lagunas and Socaire.   Back at the Hotel at by 6:30 P.M.  Note:  It might include a 2 hour walk down the gorge from Laguna Miscanti.

2. The Heights Of Tatio
Itineraries and departure time:   To experience the geysers in action, departure is before 6:00 A.M., otherwise, at 8:00 A.M.  There are two alternatives:  a)  Bathing in the Termas de Puritama and on foot to Guatin.  b) Through Turipiti and Machuca Valley with picnic, on foot by Bofedal and Valley.

3.  Visit To Tulor
Duration 1½ hours round trip.

4.  Visit To Salar
Duration:  2½ - 3 hours - Flamingos.

5.  Toconao And Quebrada de Jeré
Duration:  2½ hours  A good opportunity for an afternoon cup of tea.

6.  To Caspana
Duration:  Departures are at 7:30 A.M.  Itinerary:  Ascent  Tatio.  Breakfast.  Arrival to Caspana.  Depending what time it is, first picnic and then two hours on foot visiting the agricultural terraces.  Note:  This exploration is recommended on departure day to finish at the airport and avoid coming back to the hotel.  (explora takes the luggage directly to the airport).

7.  Plateau Of Turi
Departure at 7:30 AM to El Tatio, arrival at Toconce through Linzor.  Visit the Terraces.  Picnic at Toconce at Turi.  Following a visit to Pukará Turi.   Visit Aiquina.  Note:  This exploration is recommended on departure day to finish at the airport and avoid coming back to the hotel.  (explora takes the luggage directly to the airport).

8.  Visit To Pukara Lasana/Chiu-Chiu
Recommended on departure day, allowing to have a light lunch at the Hotel.

C.  Traveling Through History

1.  Conference In The Hotel
An archaeologists or anthropologists points of view of the history, geography and cultural aspects of Atacama.

2.  Museo Le Paige (San Pedro)
Guided tour to the museums' collection, with its tombs,ceramics, and forms of cultures that have lived and padded throught Atacama.

3.  Tour To Archeological Sites
According with visitors' interest, a tour can be arranged to specific archeological places. 

D.  Horseback riding

1.  Valle de Quitor
Duration:  2½  - 4 hours visit Pukará and Catarpe.

2.   Valle de la Muerte
Duration:  2½ - 3½ hours through Valle Quitor.  Itinerary:   Valle de Quitor.  Valle de la Muerte.  Optative  Pukará de Quitor.

3.  Through The Ayllus
a.  Beach and  Sequitor.   Duration:   1½ - 2 hours.
b.  Solor:  Duration 2 - 2½ hours.
c.  Cucuter and Poconche. Coming back via Sequitor.  Duration:   3½ hours.
d.   Tulor and Beter.  Coming back via Sequitor.  Duration:   3 hours. 

E.  Bicycling

1.  To Valle de Quitor
Duration:  2½ - 3½ hours.  Itinerary:   Valle de Quitor, optative visit to Pukará.  Church.

2.  Quebrada del Diablo
Duration 2½ - 3 hours.  Itinerary:    Quebrada del Diablo/Catarpe.  Difficult

3.  Piedra de la Coca
Duration:  3½ - 4 hours.   Early departure.  Itinerary:   To return there are two options, by Valle de la Muerte or by highway.   Difficult..

4.  To Tulor
Duration:   3½ hours.  Surrounding Ayllu.  Sandy - Difficult.  Optional:  Without  surrounding Ayllu  - 2 hours.

5.  To Solor
Duration:  2 hours.  Itinerary:  To Solor.

6.  Sequitor And Ayllus
Duration 1½  hours.  Itinerary:  To Sequitor along the beach.

7.  explora Challenge
Challenge, to who climbs the furthest from trail to Paso Jama.  Views and downhill.   Paved road.

F.  Climbing hills and Volcanoes

1.  El Toco; 5.600 Meters Altitude
Duration:  One journey, in vehicle up to an altitude of 4.600 meters,  on foot to the peak - 3 hours.  Itinerary:    Quebrada del Diablo/Catarpe.    Note:  Requires acclimatization in San Pedro and previous training.  Authorization subject to physical fitness.  Mountain clothing required.

2.  Volcan Lascar; 5.400 Meters Altitude
Duration:   One journey in vehicle up to an altitude of 4.700 meters, on foot to the peak - 3½ - 4 hours.  From October to April.   Note:  Requires acclimatization in San Pedro and previous training.  Authorization subject to physical fitness.  Mountain clothing and anti-smoke mascara are required (provided by the Hotel).

3.  Volcan Sairecabur; 6.100 Meters Altitude
Duration:  One journey in vehicle up to an altitude of 5.200   meters, on foot to the peak - 4- 5 hours.  Note:  A previous ascent to Volcan Lascar is necessary.

4.  Volcan Apagado; 5.700 Meters Altitude
Duration:  One journey in vehicle up to an approximate altitude of 5.000 meters, on foot to the peak - 4 hours.  Degree of slope is more elevated than in other volcanoes of the zone.   Note:  Requires acclimatization in San Pedro and previous training.  Authorization subject to physical fitness.  Mountain clothing is required.

5.  Volcan Licancabur; 5.900 Meters Altitude
Duration:  2 - 3 nights, depending on physical fitness.  Note:   Requires acclimatization in San Pedro and previous training.   Authorization subject to physical fitness.  Mountain clothing is    required.  This exploration has to be programmed 60 - 90 days in advance so as to adequately prepare it.  Visa is required for entering Bolivia.

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