San Pedro de Atacama, one of Chile's most important tourist destinations, is now operating and offering various activities to enjoy the world's driest desert. Below we tell you everything you need to know to visit San Pedro during COVID times, as well as learn about the experience of one of its first visitors during the pandemic.
First things first: how do you travel around Chile during the pandemic?
To travel around Chile you need one key document: the Health Passport. This document defines your health status with respect to COVID-19 (it verifies whether you are confirmed, a close contact, etc.). You request it at www.c19.cl, it's valid for 24 hours and you can request it as many times as you need. If you want to know more details about this document, as well as the most up-to-date information regarding the status of communes in Chile for travel, we recommend you visit our article How to travel in Chile during the pandemic: everything you need to know.
Is San Pedro de Atacama open for tourism?
La Plaza Restaurant in San Pedro de Atacama. Photo taken in October 2020. Yes, San Pedro de Atacama is open for tourism. Although not all tourist sites are open, it's completely feasible to visit San Pedro for an amazing vacation in the Atacama Desert. Tourism workers in San Pedro have been concerned with maintaining 100% compliance with COVID-19 health protocols established by the authorities. The measures applied to protect tourists, as well as guides and local communities, are as follows:
- Mandatory use of masks for guides, drivers and passengers.
- Frequent hand washing by guides and drivers.
- Hand sanitizer available to all passengers.
- Sanitization of vehicles and means of transport before and after each use.
- In open spaces, social distancing of at least 1 meter between people.
The easiest way to get to San Pedro de Atacama is by plane. The nearest airport is Calama, a city that as of October 19, 2020 is in Step 3. This means that the entry of travelers from other regions, who also come from a commune in Step 3 or higher, is permitted. Obviously you must have your Interregional Transfer Permit and Health Passport up to date. Currently operating are restaurants with outdoor seating open, including La Franchutería, Lola, Ckunna, Jardín Meraki and others. As for accommodations, today Ckoi Atacama Lodge, Lodge Altitud, Hostal Sumaj Jallpa, Hostal Renta House, among others are operating.
What tours can be done in San Pedro de Atacama?
Image from our guided buggy tour through the Cordillera de la Sal. Below we leave you a list of currently available tours, click on them to learn more information.
- Salt Flats Route
- Geysers at Sunrise
- Astrophotography Tour
- Trekking Valley of the Cacti
- Night Trekking San Pedro de Atacama
- E-bike Tour Atacama Desert
- Viña Santa Romina Tour
- Buggy Safari Cordillera de la Sal
- Cerro Toco Ascent
- Volcán Láscar Ascent
For their part, the following classic tours will resume once the parks visited in each of them decide to open to the public again (there is no estimated reopening date yet):
Cristián, one of the first travelers to San Pedro de Atacama during the pandemic
Cristián is a medical student from Santiago who, along with his partner Valentina, decided to venture out and be among the first travelers to visit San Pedro de Atacama during the pandemic. Weeks before starting his medical internship, Cristián was determined to take a vacation in northern Chile, a decision that wasn't always easy. "Many doubts and obstacles came up. Among them people telling us everywhere that we were crazy, how could we even think of it, that it's not the right time, that they won't let us through the airport... We turned a deaf ear because our adventurous spirit was stronger," Cristián says. So it was that, with Health Passport and Interregional Transfer Permit in hand, Cristián and Valentina arrived in San Pedro from Santiago, to find themselves in the world's driest desert for the first time. "The sensations were very special, because the moment we took any tour we saw absolutely everything there was to see. At no point were we told -guys, you don't see this at this time of year-. We saw flora, fauna, pools with volcanic water, snow and rain in the distance. It was very overwhelming because we were coming out of quarantine, so all we wanted was to get out and reconnect with the earth and that was achieved 100%".
Cristián and Valentina carried out various activities in San Pedro, such as the Salt Flats Route, where the spectacular Monjes de la Pacana are visited, trekking through the Valley of the Cacti and the e-Bike tour through the Atacama Desert. But it was the ascent to Cerro Toco that was the excursion that impacted them the most: "Being athletes, we wanted to do mountaineering beyond just taking a relaxed tour. I vividly remember climbing the snow making holes with the tips of our shoes, it was very special. Thanks to the support of the guides and the overwhelming nature of the sensations we were able to appreciate nature in a sublime way. The view from up there is very special. We felt like we were in heaven".
Adapting to a new way of traveling
The Monks of Pacana. Part of the Ruta de los Salares tour route. It's interesting to observe how the pandemic has forced both the industry and travelers themselves to rethink the way tourism is done. The first thing is to accept that the opening of Chile's and the world's tourist destinations will be gradual and constantly changing. Parks, hotels, and restaurants may close and open depending on the local situation, which will require travelers to have a new sense of flexibility. The invitation is then to consider different tours, alternative routes, and visit lesser-known attractions. Tourism must reactivate at a slow and safe pace so as not to threaten the safety of the inhabitants of these destinations. The new way of traveling is an incredible opportunity to adapt our perspective, one that creates space for travelers to connect with their surroundings in a way that isn't possible when destinations are crowded with tourists. "I dare say we experienced San Pedro de Atacama in a way no tourist has in 10 or 15 years. If we hadn't traveled during the pandemic, we wouldn't have been able to live what we lived, nor connect so deeply with the environment, with the town, and with the guides," says Cristián.
Image captured during our Astrophotography Tour in San Pedro de Atacama. Cristián emphasizes that connection that this new way of traveling allows, one that is more private and less massive. "When it's full of tourists you become just another person, and when doing a tour those kinds of connections don't happen, neither with the land nor with the people. During this season the streets are usually packed with people. Now they're not, it felt like the town, the mountains, the flora and fauna had gotten their well-deserved rest."
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