Amazing Destination - San Pedro de Atacama

 In this amazing tour in San Pedro of Atacama you will be visiting Hierbas Buenas, a place where you will find a great variety of rock art, characteristic from San Pedro of Atacama. Then you will visit the Rainbow Valley (Valle del Arcoíris), which is famous for its mountains and multi-colored rock formations. The tour ends in a beautiful village in the mountain heights known as Rio Grande befero going back to San Pedro of Atacama.

HIERBAS BUENAS

Located 68 km (42 miles) from San Pedro de Atacama and 23 km (14.3 miles) from the deviation towards Rio Grande. This place was used in Pre-Hispanic times by the ancient caravan travelers as a place to rest in their expeditions in search for exchange of goods. The people of San Pedro of Atacama would carve messages on the stones for the travelers. In the carvings we can find shamanic forms as well as animals, mainly llamas, foxes and flamingoes.

RAINBOW VALLEY

Following the route and taking the deviation from the route from San Pedro of Atacama towards Matancilla, at km 3.2 (mile 1.98) to the left you will find the Rainbow Valley, an area surrounded by mountains and multi-colored rock formations. Here you will find mountains in ochres, greens, blacks, purples, browns, and endless shades of colors to feast your eyes on.

RÍO GRANDE

In the basin of the “big river”, 90 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama, towards Calama, lies this village with a population of around 96 habitants. Its location was strategic, as it was the forced passageway for caravans traveling between San Pedro de Atacama and Chiu-Chiu. Proofs of this are the surrounding archeological sites that show petroglyphs of the guanaco hunters during the pre-Hispanic period.

Today, Rio Grande’s settlers cultivate corn, lettuce, alfalfa, potatoes, as well as raise sheep, llamas, birds, rabbits, and goats, which are marketed in Calama and San Pedro of Atacama. They also manufacture textile and handmade goods in a lower scale, wich can be found in San Pedro of Atacama.

Construction in Rio Grande is different from San Pedro of Atacama and is characterized by the use of quarry stone on the walls put together with mortar clay, straw and clay roofs, with cactus and carob beams.

We encourage you to visit the amazingplace, among other attractions from San Pedro of Atacama.