"CORDILLERA DE LA SAL AND VALLECITOS WITH APPETIZER" Tour

"CORDILLERA DE LA SAL AND VALLECITOS WITH APPETIZER" Tour

CORDILLERA DE LA SAL AND VALLECITOS – San Pedro de Atacama. Explore one of the most iconic and visually striking landscapes of the Atacama Desert on this unforgettable excursion through the Cordillera de la Sal and Vallecitos, located just outside San Pedro de Atacama. This experience offers a perfect combination of dramatic geology, vast desert scenery, and peaceful moments immersed in nature. The journey takes you through the Cordillera de la Sal, a remarkable mountain range shaped over millions of years by intense tectonic activity, wind erosion, and salt crystallization. Its rugged formations, sharp ridges, and sculpted rock layers create an otherworldly setting that feels almost lunar. Along the route, your guide will explain the geological processes that formed this unique environment, making the landscape come alive with scientific and natural insight. Continuing to Vallecitos, a lesser-known yet equally captivating area, you will discover wide open valleys, salt-covered trails, and panoramic viewpoints offering breathtaking views of the surrounding desert, the Andes Mountains, and the San Pedro oasis in the distance. The tranquility of this area allows visitors to fully appreciate the silence, scale, and raw beauty of the Atacama Desert, making it ideal for photography and quiet contemplation.

This excursion is perfect for travelers seeking to experience the essence of the Atacama beyond the traditional routes. Cordillera de la Sal and Vallecitos provides an authentic connection to the desert’s geology, vastness, and timeless beauty—an essential experience for nature lovers and explorers alike.

Itinerary

• Pickup from the hotel in San Pedro de Atacama to begin an exploration into the western sector of the desert.
• Our route takes us across the vast Llano de la Paciencia, a remote and silent expanse framed by the imposing Domeyko Mountain Range and the dramatic formations of the Cordillera de la Sal. This mountain range, shaped by large deposits of salt, gypsum, and reddish clay soils, reveals an extraordinary landscape sculpted by time and erosion. Along the way, we will discover impressive caves with natural stalactites, jagged ridges, and striking geological formations, all set against panoramic views of the surrounding volcanoes.
• We then continue to the area known as Vallecito, also referred to as Valle de la Micro, where sweeping desert vistas await. Here, the iconic abandoned bus stands as a surreal landmark, adding a distinctive and almost cinematic character to the scenery.
• As we advance through this route, we explore lesser-visited corners of the Atacama Desert, where the terrain resembles a lunar landscape and offers a profound sense of isolation and natural beauty.
• The experience concludes with our return to the hotel in San Pedro de Atacama, after an unforgettable journey through one of the desert’s most striking and peaceful environments.

Includes

• Guide service in Spanish and English.
• Entrance fees.
• Pick-up from your accommodation,
• Appetizer.
• Water.

Does not include

• Tips and gratuities.
• Professional guide in French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. If you would like a guide in these languages, please request one in advance and pay an extra fee, subject to availability.
• Other services not described in the program.

Notes:

• Level of difficulty: Low difficulty.
• Minimum age required for the tour: 3 years old.
• The pick-up and return time depends on the season and will be confirmed upon your arrival in San Pedro de Atacama.