See the dramatic geysers of El Tatio
The drive north from San Pedro de Atacama to the El Tatio geysers takes about 1½ hours. The road rises quickly in altitude until you reach the geysers at 4321m.
On the way, you’ll pass yet more of the Atacama’s dramatic mountain scenery and watch the flora change from gorges of tall cactus plants up to fields of bright yellow pajas brava grass showing that you’ve reached over 3600m. In this habitat, you’ll almost certainly spot wild guanacos and vicuñas, perhaps the odd viscacha (like a large hare) and if lucky, an Andean fox. There are also a couple of lakes where flamingoes, terns and other birds can often be seen.
This is only a morning's trip but it packs in the 'wow' factor when it comes to scenery plus the added bonus of wildlife too.
- Impressive hot water geysers let off steam in the hold air
- A stunning range of scenery from desert to altiplano
- Unusual flora, from large cactus to rare yareta 'cushion' plants
- Flamingos, guanacos, viscachas and other wildlife
- Visit an old remote village church
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An unusual and fascinating morning in the altiplano
If you stay at San Pedro de Atacama in northern Chile for around 2-3 days, you will be more acclimatised to the altitude and so we highly recommend a visit up to the geysers of El Tatio. Being at 4312m, you really feel the altitude here.
© AGMarks
© AGMarks
© AGMarks
The geysers
The highlight of the trip is, of course, the geyser field. Up in these cold, often icy mountains is a large area of land where the earth’s crust is thin and jets of steam and hot water are thrown forcibly out into the chilly air. The geysers are most active on colder days and early in the morning, which is why you need such an early start. Billowing white plumes of steam shoot up from the earth everywhere you look, and some of the geysers also release impressive fountains of hot water or gently bubble and hiss. With a backdrop of mountains and mostly blue sky, the whole sight is mesmerising and very photogenic.
An early but worthwhile morning
You leave San Pedro de Atacama at about 6.30 am. By about 9.30 to 10am, the show is mostly over, so it’s time for some breakfast and then the return to San Pedro, perhaps stopping to photograph the picturesque old adobe church in the remote llama-herding village of Machuca.
