San Pedro de Atacama on a Budget
San Pedro de Atacama (aka SPA) is a small lovely village in the middle of the Atacama desert. In pre-colombian times, it was the home of the atacamaños – an ancient group of the Likan Antay people (some remains can still be seen in the desert around). It was ruled by the Incas till Spanish conquistadores arrived first in 1540 and established their domination in the following century.
Nowadays, the village is a home to artists (it is a pueblo de arteseñia). The area’s main income is tourism and mining.
The town has a bit of a wild-west feeling, but instead of horses, you can see the locals (and tourists) on their bikes riding to the grocery store, the french bakery or to the plaza to enjoy ice cream or a cup of mate. It’s a bit how I imagine burning man festival – very dusty and laid-back 🙂
Know before you go
- Money: ATMs in town take a huge fee (5000 pesos in Banco Estado and 8500 pesos in Banco BCI) for every withdrawal, so if you can: bring cash. Most places accept credit-cards, even in the market. Some hostels take an additional fee for card usage. You may need to leave a cash deposit if you rent a car – 300$ is a common amount but can be done in USD / Euro in some agencies, not only CLP.
- Altitude: San Pedro is located in an altitude of 2400m, but many of the attraction in the Atacama desert are higher (up to more than 4000m)
- Solar exposure and no rain: Bring sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen!
- Tourist Information: Sernatur (the Chilean national tourism service) is located in the main square – they are super nice and offer maps and plenty of relevant info.
You’ll need to buy your ticket in advance and register at Socaire
Getting here
San Pedro de Atacama is a classic gateway to/from neighboring countries:
From Bolivia
- Come with a 3 day tour from Salar de Uyuni (our most recommended option) – see our tips
- Come by bus from Uyuni – 50$ (USD), duration ~12h
From Argentina
- A bus to Salta costs 50k-70k$ (CLP) and passes through other interesting sites in the north of Argentina, such as the city San Salvador de Jujuy and the tiny village Purmamarca. Pullman bus is cheaper but leaves only 3 times a week. We did the opposite (long) drive during the day and it was spectacular.
From Chile
- Calama is the nearest hub where cheap flights go frequently to Santiago.
- Buses run from the beach cities of Arica (12h, 15k$ (CLP)) and Iquique. There are direct buses as well as some that require a change in Calama.
How can you Explore the Area? (and how much does it cost)
San Pedro is the main hub (and the only gas-station) in this area, but there are a lot of attractions and points of interests to visit in the surrounding national parks. A lot of information is available online on most options, but here is a short overview to give you an idea:
Go By Organized Tours
Bottom line: easy but expensive (~30k$ per tour + 5-15k$ entry to site), you can go to all sites.
Many companies offer daily guided tours from town that include transportation, guide and sometimes a snack. Many of the tours cost around 30k$ (CLP), not including entry to the sites which ranges 5-10k$ (see details below). Some companies offer packages of several tours in a reduced price.
Go By Bike
Bottom line: cheap (6-8k$ per day + 5 – 10k$ entry to site), for experienced bikers. Only a few places are close enough to San Pedro de Atacama to reach them by bike.
Many agencies around town offer bikes for rental for 6-8k$ a day including helmet and light reflecting jacket. You can explore the sites near SPA such as Valle de la Luna, Valle del Muertos, Garganta del diabolo… some of the roads are gravel or sand so good bikes are important. Note there are some tough bits going up so maybe best if you feel safe on the bike and have experience.
Go By foot
Bottom line: free (+ 5-10k$ entry to sites) but very limited options
We did that for the first few days – you can explore Pukará de Quitor (45 min walk from main square) – a cool fortress from pre-inca times. We got a recommendation for 2 sunset spots (but haven’t checked ourselves so let us know if they are worth it): cruz papel is a cross on a hill at the start of road 23 north, just after the river; and the opposite direction on road 23 south (no specific spot, just the road). The Valle de Marte / Valle de la Muerte (different name for the same spot) is also an option to walk by foot – we saw it from above from Pukará de Quitor so didn’t go there.
free entry and can be reached even by foot
Go By rental car
Bottom line: Can be cheaper than going with multiple tours and more independent. You can explore all sites. Save money by sharing a car with other backpackers or freedom camping in hidden spots (officially not allowed).
- 4×4 / pickup trucks (camioneta): 70-120k$ (CLP) per day + fuel + entry to sites
- Private cars: 35-60k$ per day + fuel + entry to sites
Car rental agencies are available in Calama (a bit cheaper) and in SPA, as well as some private people offering car rental less officially… Most offer 4×4 jeeps or pickup trucks (80-120k$ per day), suitable if you are a group of people or plan to go off paths. We found an agency that offers privates for 35-60k$ (CLP) per day, including 3rd party insurance (we had to pay for a flat tire replacement). Most agencies will request a 300$ deposit (credit-card or sometimes cash). We did it very last-minute (a day before going to the road trip), but if you know your dates, it’s better to book in advance as you’ll have more options – probably cheaper cars too.
List of agencies we found (from different facebook groups):
| Company name | Phone | Car type | Price per day | Other tip |
| Morning rent a car (Luis) | +56996796030 | privates | 35-60k | The agency we chose. Luis and his wife Sarah are 2 really cool Brazilians that live in SAP for almost a decade. They were honest and helped us a lot. |
| Kari Betran | +56944756623 | 4w – Suzuki grand nomad / Mitsubishi Camioneta | 60-100k, discount for multiple days | |
| 4×4 rent a car (Alexis) | +56974141495 | ? | 90k | deposit 500k |
| Tchapur viajes | +56942748717 | Privates (chevrolet cavalier) & 4w (toyota runner) | 60k-120k | |
| G&M rent a car (Gonzalo) | +56995914635 | Camioneta | 70k | |
| West | +56974182762 | ? | ? | The only real car agency in SAP, with a contract and international standards. They have an office in SAP |
| Rent a hilux | +56983354511 | Hilux | ? | They have an office in town |
| Lickman cars | +56986510333 | ? | ? | A car equipment store also renting cars |
| Car / Bike rental on Caracoles street (we don’t have the name) | ? | Jeeps and 4w | ? |
Tip: you can find travel partners in the fb group Chile Backpackers, Viajeros a San Pedro de Atacama y el norte, or Les francais au Chili
Visiting the Atacama desert
There are many points of interest around SPA, either to the north (e.g El tatio Gaysers) or to the south. They all belong to Reserva Nacional los Flamencos and managed by CONAF, the national forest corporation in Chile.
Some Sites Require Booking in Advance
It seems the Chileans really don’t want tourists to visit the Atacama Desert, otherwise I don’t get why their system and websites are so terrible (as of November 2024).
In general: There are some places you must book in advance, and pay by credit card in a very slow website. You’ll also have to choose your hour of visit. For other places, only payment in the entrance is possible and some don’t accept cards.
For places south of the town of Socaire (e.g lagunas miscanti y miñiques, or “piedras rojas” locally called salar de aguas calientes sur), you’ll have to book in advance, and than check in at the tourist office in the village itself before heading with there, where you will get a paper that allows you to enter. If you fail to check in, you won’t be allowed in. We saw people booking in the village itself – this is an option if you don’t manage with the site.
We had an issue with the booking website and were charged twice without getting an entry ticket. The office in Socaire was able to solve the problem, but only after they were super unfriendly and hinting we are really stupid and impatient (maybe they should fix their website instead?).
In Sernatur office in the village of SPA you’ll find an updated list of points of interest, the entry fees and the link to book. We got a PDF from Sarah that rented us the car (updated September 2024) – attached here. The places in orange require booking in advance.
Tip: the entry to the sites is expensive and not all of them are worth it. The drives themselves are spectacular - in retrospect, we would be happy to just visit one site per day without having to rush to the next. Find other cool spots to stop in iOverlander app.Other Activities in SPA
Astronomy – stargazing
The Atacama desert is one of the darkest places on the planet and considered a world heritage site by UNESCO. In addition to low light pollution, it lies in a high altitude and has low humidity – making it ideal for telescope operation. It’s therefore a home for the most expensive telescope operating from earth – ALMA observatory used by scientists worldwide. If you are interested in the images and insights from the telescope, take a look at the wiki article for links.
In addition to just watching the sky by yourself, you can take part in one of the astronomical tours offered in town. Some tours include viewing a telescope, an explanation of solar system etc. We didn’t do that, so if you have tips about good agencies and prices, please let us know.
If you want to take cool star photos with your phone, here are our tips.
Sandboarding
If you know how to sandboard, we heard renting a board from an agency should be cheap (let us know if you find an agency and know the price). You can walk to Valle de Marte / Valle de la Muerte and slide on the dunes there.
Tours are also offered for 45$, either morning (8:00-12:00) or afternoon (15:30-19:30). They include transport, guide and board but not entry – if it’s in Valle de la Luna you’ll have to pay 6k entry fee in addition.
Artisan Market on Sunday
Every Sunday the village’s artisans sell their goods in the main square – you can find cloths, jewelry, prints and small food and drink manufactures. In the streets near Caracoles avenue there are also some artisan shops that operate all week long.
Eat Ice Cream at Heladería Babalú
As you know us, we are human, so we love ice cream. The cool thing in Babalú (which has several branches spread throughout SPA) is that they make ice cream from special local ingredients in flavors you won’t find anywhere else. These are traditional flavors of the area in ancient times, and claimed to also have medicinal value 🙂 (healthy ice cream? we are buyers). We loved the chañar which is some kind of fruit with chocolate-nut aroma, ayrampo which is a cactus and quinoa con leche. You can ask to try before, they are super nice too.
Bonus – Drink Good Coffee at Roots
Though not a tourist attraction per-se, we always love to know about good coffee. We haven’t tried the specialty sorts at Roots because of the price, but their simple Americano was really great and fruity. They also have a yummy gluten-free apple tart.
In case you are curious to know what are the giveaway bags they offer for free sometimes – it’s just used coffee from their machine, which is good for composting plants and apparently also as a facial mask (haven’t tried).
Tip: Cordillera de la Sal, about 10km on ruta 23 direction Calama, is a really cool viewpoint where you can see Valle de la Luna from above. It's especially popular at sunset. We saw some people coming with a bike, but wouldn't recommend it - it's a steep way up on the highway without an alternative path. Grocery Shopping
The bad news: as everything in SPA, grocery is also expensive. The good news: fruit and veggies aren’t! (and everyone accepts credit cards)
Just next to the COPEC gas station at the entry to the village, there are 2 cheap stores to buy good quality fruit and veggies. From the main square it’s about 15-20 min walk, but if you stay on the outskirts of town or have your own wheels, it’s a good option.
Another option is the Market, located on the ruta 23 at the corner of Las Parinas. There is manily cloths in this feria but also one veggie store, managed by a nice Bolivian guy from Sucre.
Let us know if you find more and we’ll update here!
Accommodation in San Pedro de Atacama
We heard from several people that places may be sold out so if you know when you are coming, might be better to book in advance.
Camping
If you have a tent, this will be the cheapest option. We camped for 8000 CLP per person in La Casa del Sol Naciente (Google Maps, Booking.com). We really liked the atmosphere a lot but it wasn’t always clean or silent and the tent spot can be a bit overcrowded.
If you have wheels, freedom camping is also an option, but is officially not allowed so search for a hidden place (iOverlander has good descriptions). Remember to leave no trace!
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that we earn a small commission (to keep the blog going) if you book or buy anything through them. There is no extra cost for you - you pay the same as you would otherwise.Hostels / Airbnbs
Casa Dorada – Lena and Steffen’s tip, 25000 CLP if you book in place pay in cash. Was already booked for our dates.
Hostal Quinta Adela – my parents were here in 2012 and loved the owner Jose Miguel (the hostel is named after his grandmother). You can also rent 4w jeeps from him.
We loved the artsy feeling of this oasis in the middle of nowhere, and the beautiful landscapes of the national park. If you have other tips about budget places in SPA or cool things you can do, please share with us in the comments.