Chile - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 408

Pukará de Quitor Termas de Puritama & El Tatio Geysers

Food
Stalls

Buses Géminis

SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA

Buses Atacama 2000

Buses
Frontera

Tur Bus

Museo
Arqueológico

N

Municipalidad

Hospital

Banco
Estado (ATM)

PLAZA DE
ARMAS

Iglesia de
San Pedro

Know Chile

Les Copains

Observación
del Cielo
Austral

Maxim
Experience

C ARACOL E S

Azimut 360

ATM

ACCOMMODATION
Hostal Elim
Hostelling International San Pedro
Hotel & Camping Takha Takha
Mama Tierra
Pozo 3
Hostal Sonchek

6
2
5
3
4
1

4

EATING, DRINKING & NIGHTLIFE
Blanco
Cafe Esquina
La Estaka
Sala de Té O2
Tierra Todo Natural

2
1
3
5
4

0 100

metres

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
The centre of town is the cheery little
Plaza de Armas , framed by algarrobo and
pink peppercorn trees. The whitewashed
Iglesia de San Pedro (1641) stands on the
west side of the square, while most places
to eat and other services are found along
nearby Caracoles.

ceramics, gold work and a wide range
of tablets and straws for the ritual
inhalation of hallucinogenic cacti.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus The Tur Bus terminal is on Domingo Atienza, at
Licancábur; Buses Frontera, Buses Atacama 2000, Buses
Géminis and Pullman stop further east on Licancábur.
Most travellers will choose to cross the border to Uyuni in
Bolivia on a tour, though it's possible to do so by public
transport on a bus from Calama to the border town of
Ollagüe.
Destinations Antofagasta (6 daily; 5hr); Arica (1 daily;
14hr); Calama (6 daily; 1hr 45min); Salta and Jujuy (Tues,
Fri & Sun 7am & 11am; 14hr); Santiago (1 daily; 22hr);
Socaire (1 daily at 7.30pm; 2hr); Toconao (4 daily; 1hr
30min).

Museo Arqueológico Gustavo Le
Paige
The intriguing Museo Arqueológico
Gustavo Le Paige (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm,
Sat 10am-6pm; CH$2500), located
northeast of the square, is well worth
a visit, though it no longer displays its
famous prehistoric mummy exhibit.
Founded by a Belgian Jesuit, after
whom it is named, it is home to
more than 380,000 clearly labelled
pre-Columbian artefacts, perfectly
preserved in the dry desert air, including

INFORMATION
Bike rental Bikes can be rented (around CH$1000/hr)
from the internet café at the southeast corner of Plaza de
Armas, as well as from most hostels.