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CHILE / ATACAMA : HORSE RIDING ADVENTURE IN ATACAMA DESERT...

ITINERARY

The Complete Atacama

Day 1
On your arrival, we are picked up to Calama airport, and transfered to the hotel for your diner and you first night. You'll meet the group for dinner and will discuss about the horsebacktrekking programme.

Day 2 - Lagunas Cejas
Departuretime. At the ranch, you come to know your horse for the forthcoming days.
We ride south towards the Salar de Atacama, towards the crusts of salt and lagoons of turquoise water. Flamingos and ducks circulate and fly amongst these virginal lagoons. On the egde of the Lagunas Cejas, where the scene of the turquoise water against the white crust of salt is reminiscent of an expressionist painting we stay for the first night of camping. There is the possibility to have a swim, depending on the time of year. Approximateley five houers of riding on this first day.

Day 3 - Ruins Beter and Tulor
We ride towards the ruins of Beter, where the Spanish built the first colonial village. Here there is a beautiful view of the village half burried under the sand. The first inhabitants of this part passed through this way eleven thousand years ago. Ride to Tulor, a 3000-year-old settlement with ruins of circular houses. From here, the San Pedro culture extended itself with its irrigation works, ceramics, baskets, metallurgies, ritual customs and legends, myths, magic and religious insights. We camp in the oasis of Tulor, where once again you have the possibility to have a relaxing bath in the oasis canals. Riding time today, approximately 5 houers.

Day 4 - Moon Valley and Death Valley
Canter across the sand. We explore the moon and the death valley. They both are of incredible beauty with incredible dunes and surprising geological formations, forming impressive tunnels, caves and holes. Tonight's camping is at the petroglyphs near to La Piedra de la Coca, a giant stone where old atameños spit coca for a good jurney. We visit the petroglyphs to see ancestral scenes of hunting painted on the rocks. We ride 6 hours today.

Day 5 - Rio Salado, Cerro Curon
Passing through the lovley landscapes we cross the Rio Salado where once again you will find ancient Petroglyphos. After cruising amazing landscapes and climbing up a steep, rocky slope we arrive to Cerro Curon where we camp on 3700m in total silence.

Day 6 - Rio Grande, Machuca
Río Grande appears eastwards, it is an atacameñan village, where we start to climb into the Andean highlands. We ride on paths  of the lama-caravans, in use by the highland peasants for cattledrives towards the lowlands. We follow a curvy little river, and observe the slow change of the scenery, to the terrasses of the Andean Highlands. The river opens to the „Boffedal“ (lama habitat) of Machuca, a village situated at an altitude of 4015m, owning a huge lamaherd. We camp aside a shallow lagoon.

Day 7 - Oasis of Guatin
Because the high altitude takes its toll on human and animal,  we continue slower southeastwards after an extensive breakfast and a good sleep heading towards the Quebrada de Turipiti. Also the Highlands invite you to contemplate its vastness, the grasslands and abruptly appearing canyons. The aim of todays` trekk is Guatín, a river oasis at 3200m, offering you a refreshing bath and relaxing in the soft sand.

Day 8 - Devils Canon, Catarpe Valley
Leaving the oasis of Guatin we follow a gentil road whith a marvellous view on to the whole andean depression, over San Pedro into the Salar de Atacama. Here you can see clearly the distance we have ridden in the passed days. And it is simpley amazing! Early afternoon we reach the quebrada de diablos (devils-canyon), a narrow canyon inside the Salt Mountain Range. At its end we reach the Rio San Pedro in the beautiful valle Catarpe. This will be our last camp. You can take a bath in the river or simpley rest and relax.

Day 9 - Riding back to San Pedro

Our last day riding is gentil. After following the Rio San Pedro for another while we head into the second part of the devils canyon, which is even more spectacular. After descending down to the entrance of valle Catarpe we cross the village center of San Pedro and ride back to the ranch. After spending the afternoon in whatever way you might want to (visiting the village, art shops, resting, ..) we have a final barbacue together at the ranch to resume all the lovley experiances we made together in the last few days. For the last night you will once again stay in a hotel in the village center with private bath and warm water.

Day 10
Transfer to Calama airport after breakfast or you continue your stay in Chile according to your programm.

EXTEND YOUR TRIP

Travel Extension Santiago - Valparaiso : 4 days / 3 nights

We suggest you a short stop to Santiago del Chile to discover the beautiful capital of Chile located in the heart of the Andes.
Created in 1541 by Pedro de Valdivia, Santiago is crossed by the Rio Mapocho. Santiago is a very touristic city with lot of cultural monuments to visit : Palazio Real Audiencia, Santo Domingo church, palazio Real Casa de la Aduana....
We recommand you to stay 2 nights to Santiago and next drive to Valparaiso with a rental car to visit the famous house of Pablo Neruda or the beautiful precolombian arts museum.

See price details in our "rates & dates" chapter.

HORSES AND REQUIRED RIDING LEVEL

YOUR GUIDES

Juan, who com with you for horse ridding, is an atacaman, he is proud of his origin and likes saying it!He is also a real "huaso" (Gaucho chilien), he knows exactly the horses and desert, indeed he knows all the secrets taught by his father and grand fathers. He will get you to know the legends of the local region and of the Atacaman People who hold out against the Spanish invadors.

ACCOMMODATION

We can offer you different accommodation's option for each itinerary: hotel in San Pedro, bivouac, or "bivouac /hotel".

The itinerary will be the same, San Pedro is a central place in the desert. The days will be longer if you stay at the hotel than a bivouac accommodation, because you will have to come back in San Pedro on the evening.

DATES AND RATES

Options (price per person)

Included:
- 2 nights in a 3 or 4 star hotel in Santigao city centre
- 1 night in a 3* hotel to Valparaiso or Vina del Mar
- breaksfasts
- 3 days rental car (cat B), based on 2 people sharing.

To add:
- Personal expenses: meals, drinks, oil...

- The horse trekking as detailled on a full board basis,
- Transfers from and to Calama airport

- Spanish-speaking equestrian guide
- The financial guarantee of the deposits you send to Randocheval

- Transportation to Chile, please contact us to check the best available rate from your country,
- Tips,
- Drinks,
- Personal expenses,
- Extensions organised before or after you trekking (please contact us).
- Optional insurance - more information

BOOKING - INFORMATION

Contact Claire, the specialist for this destination

PRATICAL INFORMATIONS

Chile

The season are opposite to the North hemisphere. The weather in San Pedro de Atacama is very changing and unpredictable: radiant sun, cold weather below 0°C some nights, wind and sand storms, rain storms (during january, february and march, bolivian winter). In winter you could have a big thermal range, temperatures of -7ªC or -10ªC below 0ªC during the night and 20ªC during the day.

Formalities
Please check with your local ambassy.

Vaccination - health
No specific vaccinations. Don't forget your repatriation insurance.

We recommand to be update of usual vaccination, and especially tetanus..