Chile Tours El Norte Grande and Atacama Desert

El Norte Grande is faithful to its name as the sheer size of the region is the largest in the country while also remaining the most untouched by civilization.

El Norte Grande and Atacama Desert

Spanning almost 1,930km Chile’s El Norte Grande occupies a quarter of the country’s territory. It is home to the Atacama desert, the driest desert in the world.
Despite its remote location it remains one of the most awe-inspiring places in the world with a great variety of different landscapes that will be sure to leave a mark on you.
El Norte Grande is also known for its indigenous people and many come from all over the world to witness their ways of life that was set up some 8,000 years ago.

El Norte Grande’s attractions

The appeal of El Norte Grande remains in the fact that travellers will never witness what they see here anywhere else in the world.

The landscape is such that you can visit old nitrate towns that surround the Atacama desert such as Humberstone and Santa Laura before moving on to shimmering salt flats in the Andes and eerie moon-like vistas in the Valle de la Luna. El Norte Grande is a lesson in oppositions. San Pedro is the tourism hub in Chile and where all travel starts from. The area is known for having the largest quantity of quartz and copper in the country. Here everything is slow-paced and filled with history, its inhabitants keeping traditions alive through local art and cuisine.

On the other hand, Iquique is a large sprawling city known for its cosmopolitan vibes. The activities here are quite the opposite to San Pedro with high adrenaline sports such as paragliding taking the first place.

Our favourite experiences

Visit the Laguna Verde

The Laguna Verde is a salt water lake whose particularity makes it shimmer a bright turquoise colour. It is a quite unique sight to behold as the lake is situated in the middle of the Atacama Desert which contrasts sharply to the arid surroundings. Don’t forget your cameras when you visit as you will want to make the most of this and capture it under every angle.
Take pinch of salt in the Atacamca Salt Flats

The Atacama Salt Flat is the biggest salt lake in Chile covering 300,000 km2, a stretch of white that looks like snow as far as the eye can see. On top of witnessing such a stunning landscape, the Atacama salt flats are home to the Andean flamingo, one of the rarest birds in the world. You can only see this type of flamingo here.
Stargaze in the Atacama

Due to the incredibly small population surrounding the desert of Atacama and the lack of pollution in the area, this makes it one of the best places on Earth to stargaze. The sky is so clear that if travellers are lucky they will be able to see the rings of Saturn and Jupiter with the help of a small telescope.
Visit abandoned Nitrate Mining Sites

In the 1800s, Chile and in particular the region surrounding the Atacama were known for the high levels of nitrate found in the soil. This ‘white gold’ brought a boom to the country and many people made their way here to find fortune. However, in the 1960s with the creation of synthetic nitrate these once booming mining sites have been left abandoned. Travellers can however still visit these abandoned remains that are now considered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
To the beach we go in Iquique

Iquique is a coastal town that boasts some of the best beaches in Chile. The most popular of them is Playa Cavancha that stretches out for kilometres on end of soft white sand, the perfect place to relax after a long day exploring. It is a fact universally acknowledged that a good beach equals good waves which means that Iquique makes for an idyllic surfing spot. Beware, however, as the water is very cold due to the cold Pacific currents.
Monscape walk in the Moon Valley

Valle de la Luna located in the Atacama Desert is known for its eerie, moonlike landscape from which is gets its name. With its rugged vistas made up of pointed and surreal dunes, it is a sight worthy of the best movie sets. The best time to visit de valley is during sunrise or sunset, when the sun suffuses the surroundings in soft pastel colours.