TRAVEL TIPS
GENERAL TIPS
Drink a lot of water, it's the driest desert in the world!
Sunscreen, the radiation at all times of the year is intense.
If you want to do an astronomical tour, it is recommended to come on new moon days and avoid the full moon.
CLOTHING
In the desert there are large temperature variations so it is necessary to bring both light clothing and winter clothing. The ideal is to go in layers. First layers and a jacket and / or windbreaker should be in the suitcase. (Consider that during the day there may be 27 ° C and at night to go down to 5 ° C and in the afternoons there may be wind)
In addition, in the tourist site of the Tatio geysers, temperatures below zero are usual when arriving on the tour, so it is also recommended to go with a hat and gloves.
Do not forget the swimsuit, in places like Termas de Puritama and various lagoons it is possible to enjoy a nice bath.
Closed shoes type sneakers to go easy on the uneven terrain.
Hat and sunglasses, solar radiation at all hours of the day is strong.
TOURIST AGENCY OR RENT A CAR?
Here depends on what each group is looking for, in general, it is recommended to rent a vehicle when there are groups of 4 or more, however, it is usual to find a good discount in one of the many agencies in the town, especially for large groups .
The rent convinience is that is possible to go to the sites of interest to counter-schedule (almost all agencies handle the same times of visit to the tourist sites), for example, go to the lagoon in the morning is a great experience because it is very likely that you will find very few people (we speak of less than 30 people), while if you go with a safe tour you will find at least 100 people in the place, the space is large and it is not that you collide with others, but you will notice the difference. On the other hand, guidance is always interesting.
The only place you sure you go with the schedule of the agencies is the geysers, because to see them in all their glory must leave at dawn to see the sunrise in the geothermal park, this site is actually where many lease vehicles hire a given agency that is very tall and can sometimes affect the puna.
WHICH TOURISM AGENCY?
In San Pedro de Atacama there are more than 70 tourist agencies and as you walk through the historic center you will see most of them, we recommend that you look for one that is registered in the Sernatur and that you make sure that they have the safety equipment for each trip ( oxygen for high-altitude climbs such as geysers, altiplanic lagoons, etc).
In general, the standard of service is high but it is always better to make sure that it is going safe.