San Pedro de Atacama
A desert oasis town surrounded by adobe houses and pepper trees, where the white adobe church and the hilltop Quitor fortress recall the Atacama’s thousand-year-old culture.
San Pedro has been an oasis settlement of the Likanantai (Atacameño) people for thousands of years. In 1540, it was also a stopover for the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia on his march into Chile. Today the town is the main base for travelers. On Caracoles Street, adobe houses have been converted into travel agencies, restaurants, cafés, and craft shops. Highlights include: (1) San Pedro Church, a white adobe church begun in the 17th century and rebuilt in the 18th century. Its roof is made of cardón cactus wood tied together with leather cords, and it is a National Monument of Chile. (2) The central square and the craft market. (3) Quitor Fortress (Pukará de Quitor), a stone defensive settlement built in the 12th century on a hillside about 3 kilometers north of town. It resisted the Spanish in 1540, and you can climb to the top for views over the oasis and the Licancabur volcano. Almost all the attractions require booking a group tour, and you can compare several agencies in town. Local specialties include llama meat, quinoa dishes, and pisco sour made with local fruit. Accommodation ranges from hostels to luxury desert hotels. Prices in town are high, and ATMs often run out of cash, so bring enough money. Street lights are few, so bring a flashlight if you go out at night.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Church of San Pedro de Atacama
- R. P. Gustavo Le Paige Archaeological Museum
- Pukará de Quitor
- Valle de la Muerte (Valle de Marte)
- Piedra del Coyote (Mirador de Kari)
- Aldea de Tulor
- Valle de la Luna (Atacama)
- Laguna Cejar