The Coolest Desert You'll Ever See - San Pedro De Atacama, Chile

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile is one of the greatest places I've ever visited. It is located in the Atacama Desert, which is in the northeast of Chile. I went in the month of September, specifically during the time of Chile's national holiday Fiestas Patrias (18th). The adobe town was decorated in Chile's colors of red, white and blue and there was even a small parade of school children that marched through the streets.

The weather was hot and dry. I highly recommend bringing a lot lotion or some form of body moisturizer (don't forget the sun screen!) and a good pair of sunglasses. They sell cheap sunglasses in a lot of the stores, but most of them lack 100% UV protection.

This small pueblo was very hard to get to, but it was worth it! I took a 24+ hour bus ride from Santiago, however, there are shorter bus rides if you first fly to the city of Antofagasta or Calama. If you do choose to travel by bus (and not rent a car) I recommend the company TurBus. I have had multiple great experiences with this company; their bathrooms were rarely dirty, their chauffeur always kind and helpful and they serve better food than the other companies. For traveling long distances it is DEFINITELY worth spending an extra few dollars for the bus class of Cama (means 'bed' and has the largest seats plus the seats recline to almost 180 degrees) or Ejecutivo (means 'executive', seats are smaller than cama's but still pretty big, they recline a bit less than cama's seats). The other two class options are Classico (the worst) and Semi-Cama; both are tolerable but in the heat of the Atacama Desert and with the fact that you may be stuck on a bus for quite a few hours - spending the extra dollars is definitely worth it. For your return, it was very easy to purchase a bus ticket from San Pedro de Atacama's own TurBus office. In 2007 the ticket was approximately $3.00 USD. The buses run to Calama multiple times a day so check with the office for the time that suits you best. Word of Caution: If you're on a tight schedule, make sure to purchase your tickets ahead of time. The buses do tend to fill up at the last minute and by purchasing ahead of time you'll be able to sit next to your traveling companions.

I highly recommend making a reservation WELL IN ADVANCE with the hostel or hotel you choose. I booked my lodging a week prior to departure and the only place I could find was a Bed & Breakfast (although by U.S. standards it was no B&B) on the outskirts of town, about a 15min walk. It was a great B&B, but inconveniently far from town.

Although this is a remote desert town most of the people in town ARE tourists. Thus, prices for food, lodging and other activities are modest, not too expensive but don't come here if you're looking for a bargain. When planning your excursions a lot of hotels/hostels double as travel agencies so check with them for your excursion options or you can check out the dozens of excursion agencies located in town. If you decide to take an evening trip to Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) and Valle de la Muerte (Valley of the Death) ask your guide if you can rent a sandboard before you leave. It's SOOO FUN! BRING YOUR CAMERA and make sure you bring your sunglasses to these large and beautiful sandboxes.

One last thing. A lot of the excursions are time specific and book fast, so as soon as you arrive start making plans!!! HAVE FUN AND TAKE PICTURES!