Chile - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 405

atmosphere, the proximity of the ocean
and an abundance of cheap seafood
empanadas sold by vendors along the
seafront entice you to linger longer. There
are several small and sheltered beaches
along the main Avenida El Morro, with
the wide crescent of Playa Las Machas
stretching into the distance.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By bus Buses arrive at the main plaza in Caldera; Copiapó-
bound Casther and Recabarren buses stop at Ossa Varas
710 (every 30min; 1hr 30min).
Colectivo Those to Copiapó leave from Cifuentes, just
south of Ossa Varas. Colectivos from the plaza regularly
make the 15min journey to Bahía (CH$1000).
Tourist information On Plaza Carlos Condell in Caldera
(daily 9am-2pm & 4-7pm; T 52 2316076, W caldera.cl).

the island is forbidden, fishing boats
(March-Nov 9am-6pm; Dec-Feb
9am-7pm; CH$50,000 for up to ten
people, or whatever deal you can strike)
get visitors close enough to see (and
smell) the wildlife at close quarters. A
9km trail runs north from the village to
the Mirador Pan de Azúcar , a lookout
point offering staggering panoramic views
of the coastline. Also heading north from
the village, towards Ruta 5, is a dirt road
with a 15km trail branching off to the
west that leads you through the arid
landscape to Las Lomitas , an outlook
point often visited by inquisitive desert
foxes and shrouded in rolling camanchaca
(sea mist), the main water source for all
the coastal vegetation.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By bus There are no public buses to the park, though
northbound buses from Copiapó can drop you off in
Chañaral, the nearest town. Ask around at the bus terminal
in Chañaral, and you should be able to get someone to
take you to the park. Taxis cost CH$10,000 each way -
worth it for a group. Alternatively, take a day-trip tour
from Copiapó (see box, p.407).
Tourist information Conaf 's Centro de Información
Ambiental (daily 8.30am-12.30pm & 2-6pm) is opposite
Playa Los Piqueros and has maps and information on the
park, as well as a display of local cacti. The park fee of
CH$4000 is payable here; no fee is charged if entering the
park from the east.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
All these options are in Bahía, which has a greater selection
of accommodation than Caldera, though it tends to be
overpriced during peak season.
Camping Bahía Inglesa Off Playa Las Machas, just
south of the town T 52 2316399. An excellent place to
camp, with hot shower s, picnic tab les and restaurants.
Pitch for up to six people CH$18,000
Domo Bahía Inglesa Av El Morro 610, on the waterfront
T 9 8162 8642, W domobahiainglesa.cl. Has bizarre but
comfort able tent-lik e dome rooms (private or shared).
Doubles CH$42,000
El Plateao El Morro 756 T 9 88260007. Restaurant-bar
with a terrace overlooking the beach, good service and an
innovative menu offering exceptional seafood dishes.
Seafood risotto for two CH$9000.

4

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Camping is available at several sites in the park ( T 2
1960626, T 9 94444169), costing CH$5000/person, and
includes twenty litres of drinking water, picnic tables,
showers and WC use. Groups of four to six people may
prefer to rent beachside cabañas complete with kitchen
facilities (CH$30,000 for two). Both cabañas and camping
can also be reserved through the Conaf o ce in Copiapó.
For food, there are a number of places in the village
cooking up the day's fresh catch.

PARQUE NACIONAL PAN DE
AZÚCAR
About 180km north of Copiapó, Parque
Nacional Pan de Azúcar entices visitors
with its spectacular coastal desert
landscape, which alternates between steep
cliffs, studded with a multitude of cactus
species, and pristine white beaches. A
small gravel road leads into the park from
the compact town of Chañaral and
continues past Playa Blanca and Playa
Los Piqueros to Caleta Pan de Azúcar ,
a small fishing village inside the park.
Isla Pan de Azúcar , home to Humboldt
penguins, sea lions, sea otters and a
wealth of marine birds, lies a short
distance offshore. Although landing on

Norte Grande
In some parts of the vast Atacama Desert,
which covers almost all of the Norte
Grande region, there are areas where no
rainfall has ever been recorded. With
such an inhospitable landscape, it is no