| San Pedro de Atacama | ||
 | ||
Coat of arms  | ||
| State | Chile | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Norte Grande | |
| Altitude | 2,407 m a.s.l. | |
| Inhabitants | 3.899 (2012 census) | |
| Prefix tel | 56 5 | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
San Pedro de Atacama is a small town of Chile, located in the far north region.
To know
San Pedro is a former mining village that has become a renowned tourist destination thanks to the breathtaking landscapes of the stretch of the Andes that marks the border between Chile is Bolivia. Visitors staying in San Pedro are interested in visiting the surrounding nature reserves and parks set up to protect the numerous brackish lakes where mammals and ornithological species such as flamingos find refuge.
Several tourists after their stay in San Pedro continue their journey on the Bolivian plateau by stopping at the now famous Salar de Uyuni.
How to orient yourself
San Pedro de Atacama: full screen map.How to get
By plane
The nearest airport is El Loa's Calama where the airlines LATAM is Sky Airline operate more frequent domestic flights from Santiago. Shuttle services such as Transvip and Licancabur transfer by minivan from El Loa Airport to hotels in San Pedro.
By car
At Calama airport it is possible to rent a car or more easily minivan. Car rental is not cheap and those who have a national license written in a language other than Spanish will need to obtain an international driving permit. There are few mountain roads in good condition and if you want to reach remote places, you will need to rent a 4X4 vehicle in good condition. Being stranded on the less frequented roads of the plateau can turn into a very unpleasant experience and it will be necessary to guard against more serious risks by acquiring a satellite phone.
You should also always travel with a full tank, as the only petrol station is in San Pedro. In the surrounding villages it is easy to find illegal petrol stations that charge exorbitant prices.
By bus
San Pedro is connected to the city of Calama by frequent buses of nationally and regionally renowned bus lines, such as TurBus, KTUR, Frontera del Norte, Atacama 2000 and Intertrans. The journey takes approximately 1 1/2 hours.
TurBus also operates direct connections, naturally less frequent, between San Pedro and Antofagasta (4 hours), Iquique, Arica is ſantiago.
International buses provide a direct connection with Uyuni (Bolivia) and with cities Argentine of La Salta and San Salvador de Jujuy. The overland journey from San Pedro a Uyuni it is one of the most scenic in South America and in the high season (Christmas) the seats sell out quickly.
How to get around
San Pedro is a village and you can easily move around on foot, also considering that the center is a pedestrian area. On foot you can reach the Valle de Marte. The use of bicycles is allowed only outside the town.
What see
Below is an essential list of attractions around San Pedro. Others further away are described below.
Geysers del Tatio
1 El Tatio (about 100 km from the center of San Pedro). 
Entrance fee. Located at an altitude of 4,200 m, there are around 80 geysers in El Tatio, although many are small.
- Whether you are traveling with your own car or with an organized tour, you will need to get up late at night as the show is best in the phase during and before dawn.
Events and parties
What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Where stay
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning San Pedro de Atacama
