The Atacama Desert experience
Five weeks of rain in Rio had taken its toll on my mood! I decided to dry up my soggy brains somewhere in an untamed but not too distant place. The Atacama Desert of Northern Chile seemed like the ideal place for a dry and exotic break.
The Atacama Desert is regarded as the harshest desert on earth. According to scientists, some areas have not seen rain for the past 20,000 years! Its hyper aridity is not synonymous with monotonous sand dunes. There is more to the Atacama Desert than sand dunes and oasis! What makes this desert so special and unique is the fact that it stretches from sea level to altitudes over 6000 m. The Atacama Desert has it all: beaches, volcanoes, canyons, bubbling geysers, hot thermal waters, salt beds and lagoons, and Pre-Colombian sites. The Indian people who have inhabited this inhospitable environment from time immemorial make visitors feel very welcome in their village. Begging and mugging are unheard of. Last, but not least, the desert fauna makes up for the lack of flora. However, there are neither flies nor mosquitoes.
You don’t have to be a desert buff to become lyrical about the many facets of the Atacama. You reach the copper mining town of Calama after a two- hour flight from Santiago, the modern Chilean capital. As soon as you set off on the main road towards the historic “pueblo” of San Pedro de Atacama, one hour away, you fall under the desert spell. As you drive, you discover the breath taking scenery. You are ready for the Atacama experience
Atacama struck me as a land of contrasts. Climatic contrasts are notable. In one day, you can freeze under the snow at 4000 m altitude or be burnt by the hot sunshine at 2000 m. The village and oasis San Pedro (2,443 m) offers all the most modern facilities international visitors may expect. There is even a five star hotel! Cell phones may ring at the foothill of the close-by and towering Licancabur Volcano (5900m). I would have preferred that they didn’t, but some fellow travellers seem unable to live without them! In spite of its unforgiving harshness, Atacama is a manageable desert, as long as you are older than 121. Active seniors have made it their own. Many travel means are available to discover the desert attractions. The most remote region can be reached in comfortable vans, thanks to the excellent tarmac roads. So far the outstanding road network has not produced tourist gridlock! Mountain bikes and horseback rides are alternatives for the more sporty visitors. However walking is the transport of choice for the majority of tourists.
Unhurried travellers can discover Atacama on a shoestring, relatively speaking, as Chile’s standard of living is higher than Brazil’s. Early or late baby boomers who may not have so much time on their hands could decide to plan ahead their Atacama experience. The most rewarding arrangement is without any doubt the upscale package offered by Explora at its de Larache hotel in San Pedro. I should write a disclaimer here: this article is not a free publicity for the hotel, but a neutral report on a worthwhile experience.
The Explora management will probably hate me for using the term “package”. Explora rather pompously prides itself to enhance their guests’ art of travel. Explora
2 offers a package nonetheless. Don’t be put off by their somewhat pretentiously written brochures.
What is the Explora art of Travel? Imagine the Copacabana Palace, Club Med, and a boot camp all rolled into one. Their all inclusive programmes are based on four- or eight-night stays. In terms of hospitality, Explora is second to none. Its added value consists in the choice and variety of the proposed daily excursions and the extreme care taken in their delivery. The Explora machinery works like a Swiss clock. Their excursions are militarily organized. Because time is short, and hotel rates are expensive, you want to pack the maximum of activities and piscos sour during your stay. The food is delicious, and plentiful. The package also includes an open bar. After four days in the San Pedro Explora, brains and stomach felt totally rejuvenated! When leaving Explora, and being a jaded adventurer, my only regret was that the well-lubricated organization had removed some of the adventurous and mysterious edges of desert exploration.
The small village of San Pedro prides itself with dozens of hotels and guest houses of various size and amenities. Lodging is more like feast to famine. Budget concerned travellers can find modest but clean rooms. However, they should plan their excursions before coming to San Pedro. Rumor has it that the local tour operators run unreliable and unpredictable excursions.
I would go back, any time, to the Atacama Desert. To me, Explora is the only resort which does justice to the splendor of the Atacama Desert.
For more information, log on to
www.explore-atacama.com, www.gochile.cl, www.adventure-life.com/chile, www.explora.com,.
Beatrice Labonne,
December 10, 2005.
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