UYUNI PROGRAM / SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA 4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS

UYUNI PROGRAM / SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA 4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS

Day 01: DISCOVERING Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni-Tahoua)

Today we have an unforgettable journey through 12,000 km ² of fantastic landscapes salt Prepare your camera! The dazzling white mantle of the Salar de Uyuni resembles a huge glacier.
In winter (dry season from May to October), when the surface hardens, almost geometric figures formed by the salt particles agglomerated into polygons. In summer (rainy season from November to February) the salt desert is transformed into a giant mirror that blends the purest sky of America. We enter the salar by Colchani, where the salt factories.
Visit one of these, where we will receive an explanation of the salt family economy, governing village life based on a cooperative organization.

Then we will have the privilege of visiting the Incahuasi Island, tourist service center that has a path to climb to the summit becomes extraordinary 360 degree viewpoint and surprised by the amount of giant cactus (Echinopsis atacamensis) that populate the island, which is also a sign of manifest similarly petrified volcanic lava rock above the rocks and its origin is the "Alga Azul" or Fossils Stromatolites, one of the oldest evidence of life on earth. Underwater bacteria that have formed have been developed in times Michín Lake (40,000 years ago) and Lake Tauka (11,000 years ago) that kept the whole island under water.

We will have a box lunch on the island and then to the dominant enfilaremos magical figure of Thunupa Volcano, whose skirts are Tahoua. Arrival to hotel Tayka Sal
Accommodation at the hotel.

Almost immediate Drive to the Coquesa, east, from where the climb starts at 4x4 to gain an appreciable rise in the Thunupa, from where the views are stunning from Monumental Salar.
Starting a brief walk to see the chullpar, ancient burial cave, where a local guide will explain the history of mummies.
Chantani return visit the Museum with its displays of ceramics, stone fanciful shapes resembling animals and their silent ancient mummies refer burials in these lands.

Return to the Hotel de Sal Tayka Red, with private bathroom, hot water and heating (Bx, C).

Day 02 PUCARA, CATHEDRAL CAVE ISLAND (Tahoua - San Pedro de Quemes)

Today we dedicate the unknown Salar Salar by tourism or Sensual. For the salt crust will go towards our 4X4 Ch'jini, little visited by tourists despite its unparalleled beauty.

Led by members ascend to the "cathedral" mound about 40 m high where are the ruins of Pukara stacked stones or community: residences, silos, viewpoints presume that this is a strong of an ancient civilization Tiwanacota followed. The challenge of climbing to the very crest of the "cathedral" with simple but guaranteed safety means is an opportunity to distill adrenaline to have some of the most outstanding viewpoints of the world. Then visit the Cave Ch'jini resulting from an underwater geologic formation with calcareous bodies, due to the dissolution of calcium carbonate in contact with groundwater and rainwater formed in the stage prior to glaciation 16,000 years ago. The beauty and fragility of these geological formations have forced the community to organize the visit in small groups of no more than 5.

It is an intimate corner of the Salar Sensual, incomparably beautiful landscape, but also a spiritual presence that emanates from the stone buildings over a thousand years old, which makes us think about the way of life of the populations ancestral. Return to the car.

Then we have the privilege of crossing from north to south the most beautiful part of the White Desert , Salar Sensual , away from the usual tourist route , heading to La Isla Pescado , rarely visited by tourists, where we have a short walk and lunch. We will follow Hoods Bay of Islands dominated by the image of the volcano Caltama a landscape setting unparalleled until Kamancha cannon in Sinalaco , deep cleft in the rock carved by the bed of a river flow only in the rainy season .
Crossing the canyon for about 90 minutes , a walk that must meet high difficulty level changes , amid the cameras effort to recover the scenario with high side walls and rock formations textures figures Beauty mysterious .
Moving away we will stop at abandoned farmhouse guinea pig , where they can appreciate the ancient Indian architecture based on stone, clay and straw.

Arrival in San Pedro de Quemes, where we together with the community have raised the Tayka Stone. (D, A, C)

Day 03. BOUQUET OF GAPS & DESERTS (San Pedro de Quemes - Birdseye)

After breakfast we will appreciate walking, the hotel environment: pens with llamas, that will steal the attention of our camera, the chullpares of the first inhabitants, the Burnt Village, with its stone uprisings have inspired the construction of the Hotel. It was burned in the War with Chile in 1879, is an unknown page official history. (Instead of visiting the Pueblo Quemado recommend taking the optional Llamas grazing, because it is an unparalleled experience than an hour, moving tens of flames directed by sympathetic pastor Doña Marta, who has been interested in making known to visitors a little taste of the relationship between man and the flame, so vital to the life of the people of these remote places).

In the car we drive to the nearby town Refugio, which was built when they fled the village on fire in a hideout between large volcanic rocks.

From there and with the dominant figure Ollagüe Volcano, which is active, we head corsage gaps: Gaps Cañapa, Hedionda, Chiarkota, Honda and Ramaditas, in which large numbers of flamingos, the three species in the area shall be left to see and photograph at will. Other birds, such as gulls and geese accompany Andean flamingos in these lagoons flanked by snow-capped volcanoes that have a green skirt down (rough straw, and thola Yareta) to finish in ocher colors that the winds have been drawing in thousands or in rare colors from borax and sulfur of these strange gaps. At the edge of one of them will have a picnic lunch.

Incursionaremos in desert sand and pebble surfaces of enormous extent, no roads, almost without direction. These deserts are fantastic owners whole palette of terracotta. Red, orange, ocher, bronze, brown and beige occur in every curve of the road, fighting the traveler's attention. Faced with this color palette we have raised the Desert Hotel, with private bathrooms, hot water and space heating (D, Bx, C).

Day 04. LATEST LAKES VALLEY OF ROCKS AND PEOPLES MODEL (Birdseye - Uyuni or San)

Leave early in the morning to a first contact with the Wildlife Reserve Andina Eduardo Abaroa when visiting the Stone Tree. Then we will have a short visit to the Laguna Colorada to observe its large population of flamingos, the three existing species that roost in its icy water mirror. We head Geysers Morning Sun to catch him in his busiest time. This will be the highest point of the route, about 5000 meters. Noisy fumaroles and boiling pools where the land appears red, gray and scarlet pimples may be flown by us in their own shores.
The desert and salar Chalviri is another scenario that combines beautiful scenery of the white snow, desert ocher, blue water and white borax. In one corner we can take a bath in the Baths of Polques.
When we move away stage of the Ladies Desert Wind masterpiece and Andean peaks with perfect details in shapes and colors of rocks that have weathered the wind. And again, and as an excess, Laguna Verde, at the foot of the volcano Licancabur, one of the pearls of the Reserve.

The border crossing will be at 12:00 Hrs for private transfer to San Pedro de Atacama. Arrival and accommodation at the hotel. (D, Box)

End of our services in San Pedro de Atacama.