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Flight Santiago - Antofagasta. We will see a variation of desert landscapes, ranging from the lonely salt falts, called "salares," in the high mountain ranges, to the splendid "flowering desert" which blooms during the months of September and October. Map (390 )
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We leave Antofagasta in route to San Pedro de Atacama, one of the finest and best preserved examples of the old colonial desert town. Along the way we pass the "Salt Range" - sharp ridges formed from erosion that in some places take on the appearance of dinosaurs. We will visit the Laguna Chaxsa with flamingour and the famous San Pedro church, built around 1745 and the largest and most fascinating of the region. The ceiling of this church is made of cactus stalks, one of the few building materials available in the region. |
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Today we leave very early, at about 4:30 in the morning, to see the justly famous Tatio geyser field, in a valley surrounded by high peaks. We will go with a minibus and return at 12:00 midday. The geothermal activity here is connected with the Tatio volcano, which has an altitude 4280 meters (14038 feet). The geysers are most active right at dawn, producing columns of superheated water more than 30 feet high in places, and filling the area with clouds of steam. The edges of the hot pools are composed of soft mineral salts, and it is extremely dangerous to get close to these pools. San Pedro de Atacama had its origins long before the arrival of the Spanish. The town is small, with narrow alleys dating back to its earliest days. The principal building material here is adobe. We will visit the archeological museum of Padre Le Paige. Here the display shows the evolucion of the Atacama culture in its estimated 11,000 years of history. Along the way we will see the unusual pre-Inca circular dwellings at Tulor, dating to several centuries BC. If time allows we may also visit the famous Indian defensive fortresses (or “pucaras”) of Quitor and Lasana, and observe sections of the well preserved Inca Trail.
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We will travel to Iquique through the
coast of Tocopilla.
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Today we head for Tacna in Perú, stopping along the way at the ghost towns of Humberstone and Santa Laura, formerly among the most important nitrate mining centers of the Atacama desert region. We will have a discussion of the history and importance of nitrate minig and these ghosts towns, along with visits to the old machinery (much of it imported from Europe).
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We will
travel back to Arequipa. The
department of Arequipa is one of various terrains. It begins
in the coastal desert and then climbs the Andes, reaching
great altitude at the snow covered peaks and at its
volcanoes.
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oday we are travelling to the Colca Valley.
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-ColcaCanyon
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We will leave to take the road to Cusco, this is our longest day in all the trip, 630 km.. We leave Arequipa very early. In this section the mountain range to a height between 3700 and 4500 ms. The panorama is of a beauty difficult to describe, crossing mountains and steppes covered with coironales and yaretales, and populated by agriculturists who live in constructions with reminiscencias of the rural architecture Andalusian. The way is track (asphalt) and in good state, being the dogs and other animals practically the only danger. This and other neighboring towns live on agriculture and cattle ranch, and at least it is expected, they appear churches and constructions that to one leave it perplex. The highway is enviably clean and our Chilean plastic bottles and bags shine there by their absence. The countryside generally very clean and is respected by its inhabitants. We will lodge in Cuzco
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We will do a city tour in a private bus through Cusco seeing the churches and Saqsaywan and the more interesting ruins of Cusco.
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We will travel to Sacred Valley on midday, where we will visit the Maras and arrive to our hotel in Sacred Valley.
Sacred Cusco-Valleys: The most beautiful way that the previous ones and of an excellent asphalt, one goes towards sacred valleys. It is a prologue to which it comes ahead and, to the other day, when it is arrived at Machu Picchu. After this sacred place of rituals and ceremonies, a route comes towards the valley, a dream for riders.
We will visit Pisac and Ollantaytambo.
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Train to Machu Pichu. We will leave to 6:00 in the morning arriving at Machu Pichu to 9:30 hours and we will return to 15:00 hours. Trip in a spectacular and modern train with panoramic view.
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We will leave from Urubamba to Puno. 400 km. where we will take the boat to the Uros Island.
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Day 15 Travel to Arica throught the Andean, 630 km. sometimes at 5.000 m.s.n.m. We will have our good bye dinner. Day 16 Flight to Santiago.
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Price with all included on the right:
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Includes:
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