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This is our 13th year with this popular northern Chile tour
which spans the archeological and pre-Hispanic cultural
attractions of the Atacama Desert near Arica, the
precordillera of the Andes with its surprising diversity of
birds and vegetation, and then crosses the 5 reserves and
national parks of northern Chile. The route includes
a day in a small fishing village at the base of the coastal
range of the Atacama Desert where fur seals, sea lions, and
near-shore birds feed in the rich upwelling of the Humboldt
Current.
The
tour offers a blend of Aymará culture and an abundance of
birds and wildlife, all dominated by volcanoes and punctuated
by flamingos. Begin tours in Putre
or Arica.
We encourage clients to include an (optional) "free
day" in Putre, the day after you arrive in Putre, a day
without planned activities. We can insert this free day
into your tour because we live in Putre, and can provide
accommations without your having to pay for a tour or a guide
for that day. The group would pay its own food that day,
and we would charge just for the accommodations. The purpose
is to help to acclimatize to the altitude, the free day can be
used for independent hiking, botanizing, or birding.
Trekking: for those that like to get some walking
into the tour, we suggest no more than 10k per day at high
altitude. The van or 4WD vehicle will carry your heavy
packs or luggage so just a day pack is needed while you walk. We
provide the opportunity for as much (or as little) hiking each
day as desired.
Alto Andino tours are flexible -- we'll customize this tour (at
no extra cost) to maximize your time spent on your favorite
activity: trekking, photography, or
simply soaking in hotsprings.
Please inquire for details on shorter or longer
itineraries.
All tours
are private. Reservations
are necessary.
Atacama
desert culture, Altiplano wildlife, Coastal marine
mammals
Itinerary
5
days, 4 nights starting Arica or Iquique
1 day naturalist guide service, 4 days with professional
Chilean guide(s)
Day 1: Guided visit of the
Azapa Valley's archeological museum with its Chinchorro-era
mummies, and other pre-Hispanic attractions such as the
elaborate geoglifs. Afternoon is a slow tour up to the
precordillera, with stops for distributionally-limited cactus Browningia
candelaris, canastero condominiums, and various Inca and
pre-Inca ruins. Overnight Putre.
Day 2: Day
in Parque Nacional Lauca with naturalist
B. Knapton as your guide. Visit Lago Chungara,
National Monument Parinacota pueblo and church with time for
photography. Spotting scope and binoculars provided for the
best wildlife viewing. Optional bath at hot springs.
Overnight in Putre
for an extra night of acclimatization before continuing on
through the parks.
Day 3: Reserva Nacional Las Vicuñas,
Ramsar Site Monumento
Natural Salar de Surire, hotsprings, active volcano, vicuñas,
rheas, flamingos, caserios. If desired, short treks along the
river can be interspersed throughout the day. Overnight
in altiplano in basic hostal.
Day 4:
Parque
Nacional Isluga, Polylepis copse (threatened
high-Andes trees), Isluga church, giant cactus,
bizarre geological formations, remote pueblos. Descend through
absolute desert, visit enormous geoglif at Cerro Unita. Reserva
Nacional Pampa del Tamarugal, then tasty dinner
of local seafood in coastal fishing village where you'll
overnight. Lots of oxygen at sea level!
Day 5: Morning beach walk to most northerly of
Chile's fur seal colonies. Photograph fur seals, sea lions,
boobies, pelicans, endemic Chilean Seaside-cinclodes.
Then an excellent seafood lunch, with afternoon visit to the
famous English cemetery where James Humberstone, one of the
principle nitrate barons is buried. Continue north
through the ghostly, barren Atacama Desert, stopping for
superb geoglifs along the way and periodically descending into
the deep quebradas that were carved by massive amounts of
water long ago. Tour ends in Arica.
Alternate Day 5: Travelers can choose
to end the tour in Iquique or Pozo Almonte. The morning
would be similar to the above, then afternoon visit to an
historic salitre/nitrate station. Tour ends in
Iquique.
Option: Start tour from Putre
images
of Putre
4 days, 3 nights
Before the tour: Arrive Putre on public bus
and spend an economical day or two in the pueblo hiking, bird
or flower watching, soaking in the very hot thermal baths, or
visiting the cave painting sites with an Aymaran guide. Choose
the overnights in Casa
Barbarita with Andean naturalist library and when
you're ready -- start the tour.
Option:
Start tour in Iquique
5
days, 4 nights. It's easy, just let us know if you
prefer to start the tour in Iquique, you can also end the tour
there if desired. The
route is traveled in reverse, going north along the backbone
of the occidental Andes, with the trip ending in back in
Iquique, or Arica, Putre,
or the Bolivian border crossing.
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Phoenicoparrus
jamesii
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all photos copyright
B. Knapton
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hot mud outdoor spa,
still undeveloped for the time being.....
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hike to marine mammal colonies, easy and lots of
seabirds around, plus archeological sites
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Note fellow chasing
errant llama while his dog stands guard; nursing
mother in foreground; and an obviously "male"
camelid, front left.
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good views possible,
with no threat to the fur seals which are located on
offshore islets
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optional 10 km hike to pinturas "cave paintings"
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every caserio has its
distinctive chapel
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