Travelling in San Pedro de Atacama: Flamingos, Thermal Baths and Cocaine Sweets

Discovering the driest place on Earth

Upon arriving in the wonderfully picturesque metropolis of Santiago, my new home for the next five months, I immediately caught a connecting flight up North to San Pedro de Atacama; Santiago would just have to wait for another week. The small but fascinating town arises like an oasis from the vast Atacama Desert, the mud and straw-bricked houses one of the only telling signs of the astonishing remoteness of the area. At an altitude of 8,000 feet, it is certainly the highest I have ever been on land, the effects of which manifested themselves in some nausea and headaches in the first few days. When asking the locals about remedies for this altitude sickness, they recommended ‘Coca Sweets’ a local, homemade or casero remedy, derived from the Coca plant, from which Cocaine is extracted. Rather than any other averse effects, and with some degree of trepidation, I found that, in fact, the small, Strepsil-like sweet actually tasted of sweet tea and immediately eliminated all of my symptoms. I also found out that Queen Victoria of England would routinely chew Cocaine leaves to help with period pain, and I would certainly endorse this too, despite their being illegal in the UK!

I stayed in a beautiful complex of wooden lodges, complete with swimming pool, WiFi and hot water. In fact there is WiFi pretty much everywhere you go here which is astonishing, given that is so far from civilization and that parts of the Atacama haven’t seen rain for over 400 years.. There are some beautiful restaurants to sample in San Pedro too, all centered around a high street; as I am gluten intolerant and pescatarian (very niche, I know!) I often struggle in foreign countries to find suitable options but it was incredibly easy in San Pedro. My best recommendations: for breakfast – Bumkaldi for breakfast as it does beautiful fruit salads wth granola, crepes, omelettes, you name it! Served alongside fresh garlic bread and fruit smoothies. They also have a wide variety of gluten-free and vegan cakes which is always music to my ears! Roots Cafe is also fantastic, with a Reggae vibe, fresh coffee, pastries, crepes, eggs and beautiful paninis with gluten free bread on offer too. For lunch – Las Delicias de Carmen is great for pasta and fish, moderately priced, with a brick fire and is very centrally located. If you’re looking for a quick snack, you can get takeaway pizzas from Pizzeria El Charrua but be warned, pizzas here aren’t what some Westerners may expect. They are stone baked but very thin with an overload of toppings. Give it a go and see what you think! For dinner the best place I found was Lola, which had a great range of tasty fish, meat, pizzas, pastas, vegetarian and gluten free options along with tasty empanadas which are a must have for any gringos (foreigners). Another good but pricier option is Adobe, which has great fish and steak.

Despite being a die-hard foodie, ensure if you visit San Pedro not to waste too much time inside the restaurants as there is so much to see and do here! If you haven’t got the luxury of a rental car, there are dozens of tour companies which will take you to every major tourist destination around San Pedro, all of which can be found on the main street. My first day was spent at Luguna Chaxa, salt lagoons complete with flamingos and the most gorgeous backdrop of the majestic Andes. This is a must see and a great photo opportunity, located around a forty minute drive from San Pedro. I would highly recommend visiting late afternoon and hanging around for the awesome sunset, one of the most breathtaking I have seen in my life. The place is based around salt flats, which formed salt lagoons and attracted the flamingos which are a spectacularly incongruous sight in the middle of the desert. Look out for Guanacos and Condors as you travel as they are elusive but definitely worth the extra attention!

Next was Termas de Puritama, thermal springs in the foothills of the Andes where for a small fee you can bathe to your heart’s content. They are naturally heated and therefore a complete delight and definitely a place not to miss while in Atacama. There are changing facilities as well and full amenities so enjoy this little slice of luxury amidst the arid desert. The lower the spring, the colder it is, however, so I stayed in the highest pool. The magnificent springs flow into one another and create waterfalls which are truly spectacular to witness. A must-see!

My third excursion was to Valle de la Luna, an amazing sand-filled landscape which mimics the Moon’s surface. The high dunes allow fantastic views around Atacama and the natural sandstone structures resemble statues and buildings like the famous amphitheater, pictured below. You can drive through the Valle and see the Tres Marias (Three Marias), three consecutive sand structures which look like three ladies. This is both an excellent vantage point for the rest of the desert and also an unmissable tour stop in itself.

My final trip necessitated a 5am start but proved to be more than worth the struggle! The Geysers del Tatio are located at around 14,000 feet in the Andes and are thermal geysers which, upon contact with the -8 degree early morning air are expelled through fractures in the Earth’s surface as steam. It’s a wonderful and incredibly unique sight, but remember to wear thermals, scarf, hat, gloves etc as it is below freezing. This was perhaps the most incredible sight of all during my time in San Pedro.

All-in-all this has been a fantastic start to my journey and has allowed me to both settle into my new country and simultaneously see some of its most magnificent landscapes. Atacama is unmissable when travelling in Chile and I feel very privileged to witness these natural wonders in their current, untouched state. Here’s hoping they remain so for many years to come!

*This post is from my old blog and was published in 2018.