Norte Grande • Sometimes alone in the world [Chile] ENG
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Here we go for a roadtrip in the north of Chile, from Arica to San Pedro de Atacama through desert & lonely landscapes...
For this Chilean part of our trip of October 2015, We wish to propose you a photo novel which, according to us, speaks more than any well or badly written story... So take your mouse or thumb (if you are on your smartphone or tablet) & scroll to discover all these arid, lonely & beautiful landscapes...
→ Arica & Putre
Route Chile 11 de Arica à Putre
Putre (3500m)
Parque National Lauca • Parinacota volcan, Lago Chunara (4500m)
Norte Grande • Suriplaza
Reserva National Las Vicunas & Salar Surire (4250m)
Route du Salar Surire à Codpa
Vallée fertile de Codpa - Guanacagua (2000m)
→ Inquique
Ville fantôme Humberstone
Salara Huasco (3700m)
Oasis de Pica
→ Calama
Chuquicamata
The largest open pit copper mine in the world
(size of the mine: 8km2 & 1250m deep, size of a truck tire: 3m high)
→ San Pedro de Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama
Geysers d'El Tatio
Valle de la Luna
Salar de Capur
Lagunas Miniques & Miscanti
• deserts, volcanoes, salars & lagoons, 4 words to describe the Chilean Norte Grande region •
2 favorites accommodations in this Chilean journey
Terrace Lodge
Circunvalacion 25
Putre (Arica) Chile
One of the lodgings that we especially appreciated in the region of Putre. We recommend it especially for the welcome of Falvio & Patricia. 2 Italian polyglots "lost" in the Norte Grande of Chile, but who know their region like the back of their hand... Their advice was very, very precious to us... a big thank you to them both!
Hôtel Terrantai
Calle Tocopilla 411
San Pedro de Atacama (Chile)
Hotel Terrantai this hotel is a cosy and charming accommodation, welcome after all those dusty roads, but still curiously quiet considering its location in the heart of the lively little town.
PRACTICAL INFORMATIONS
always bring enough gasoline (bring gas cans depending on your itinerary, but be careful with the vapor pressure in the cans when you go up in altitude)
always bring enough water, it can be cold but also very hot
always inform someone of your itinerary
beware of altitude sickness
in San Pedro de Atacama, if you don't have your rental car anymore (as we did when we came back from Bolivia), avoid taking part in the organized excursions, except maybe the Geysers of El Tatio since you have to leave very early in the morning and drive at night on a non-lit track. We regretted a lot our organized excursions, because there were too many people and no freedom. A Europcar rental agency has "recently" opened in San Pedro, so for our last day, we decided to rent a car to find our freedom..
Detailed itinerary
Arica (1 night) • Putre (3 nights) • Codpa (1 night) • Inquique (2 nights) • Calama (1 night) •
Circuit in the south of Bolivia • San Pedro de Atacama (4 nights)