General Informations

Trip lenght: 10 days

Riding days: 8 days

Riding hours: between 5 to 6 hours per day

Meeting point: Calama

Number of participants: between 3 and 8 persons

Level: intermediary with good health

Minimum age: 12 with an responsable adult

Climate: dry and sunny. You can have negative temperatures in the night in the winter months.

Dates: The 10th of each month

Itinerary

Day 1: Pick up at Calama Airport and transfer to San Pedro de Atacama. After having a first dinner together to clarify open questions and go through details you will stay at a local hotel with private bath and warm water.

Day 2: We ride south towards the Salar de Atacama, towards the crusts of salt and lagoons of turquoise water. Flamingos and ducks circulate and fly amongst these virginal lagoons. On the egde of the Lagunas Cejas, where the scene of the turquoise water against the white crust of salt is reminiscent of an expressionist painting we stay for the first night of camping. There is the possibility to have a swim, depending on the time of year.

Day 3: We ride towards the ruins of Beter, where the Spanish built the first colonial village. Here there is a beautiful view of the village half buried under the sand. The first inhabitants of this part passed through this way eleven thousand years ago. Ride to Tulor, a 3000-year-old settlement with ruins of circular houses. From here, the San Pedro culture extended itself with its irrigation works, ceramics, baskets, metallurgies, ritual customs and legends, myths, magic and religious insights. We camp in the oasis of Tulor, where once again you have the possibility to have a relaxing bath in the oasis canals.

Day 4: Canter across the sand. We explore the moon and the Death Valley. They both are of incredible beauty with incredible dunes and surprising geological formations, forming impressive tunnels, caves and holes. Tonight’s camping is at the petro glyphs near to La Piedra de la Coca, a giant stone where old atameños spit coca for a good journey. We visit the petro glyphs to see ancestral scenes of hunting painted on the rocks.

Day 5: Passing through the lovely landscapes we cross the Rio Salado where once again you will find ancient Petro glyphs. After cruising amazing landscapes and climbing up a steep, rocky slope we arrive to Cerro Curon where we camp on 3700m in total silence.

Day 6: Río Grande appears eastwards, it is an atacameñan village, where we start to climb into the Andean highlands. We ride on paths of the lama-caravans, in use by the highland peasants for cattle drives towards the lowlands. We follow a curvy little river, and observe the slow change of the scenery, to the terraces of the Andean Highlands. The river opens to the „Boffedal“ (lama habitat) of Machuca, a village situated at an altitude of 4015m, owning a huge lama herd. We camp aside a shallow lagoon.

Day 7: Because the high altitude takes its toll on human and animal, we continue slower south-eastwards after an extensive breakfast and a good sleep heading towards the Quebrada de Turipiti. Also the Highlands invite you to contemplate its vastness, the grasslands and abruptly appearing canyons. The aim of today’s trek is Guatín, a river oasis at 3200m, offering you a refreshing bath and relaxing in the soft sand.

Day 8: Leaving the oasis of Guatin we follow a gentile road with a marvellous view on to the whole Andean depression, over San Pedro into the Salar de Atacama. Here you can see clearly the distance we have ridden in the passed days. And it is simply amazing! Early afternoon we reach the quebrada de diablos (devils-canyon), a narrow canyon inside the Salt Mountain Range. At its end we reach the Rio San Pedro in the beautiful valley Catarpe. This will be our last camp. You can take a bath in the river or simply rest and relax.

Day 9: Our last day riding is gentile. After following the Rio San Pedro for another while we head into the second part of the devils canyon, which is even more spectacular. After descending down to the entrance of valley Catarpe we cross the village center of San Pedro and ride back to the ranch. After spending the afternoon in whatever way you might want to (visiting the village, art shops, resting, ..) we have a final barbecue together at the ranch to resume all the lovely experiences we made together in the last few days. For the last night you will once again stay in a hotel in the village center with private bath and warm water.

Day 10: We bring you back to the Airport for your flight home on time.

Rates

Price: 1250 euros per person

The price includes:

• Transfer from Calama airport
  2 nights in bed and breakfast
  The complete alimentation
  Camping equipment
  Bilingual guide and local guide
  Assistance car to transport personal and camping equipment, horses ’s food and water

The price do not include:

• Insurrances