TOUR GEYSERS OF TATIO FROM SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA

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Day 8: Tatio Geysers Tour from San Pedro de Atacama

Today is our last full day in San Pedro de Atacama, day in which we will do one of the most demanded tours in the area and also one of the most tired, because at the height we must add that it starts at 4:30 in the morning. We are talking about Tour Geysers of Tatio from San Pedro de Atacama, one of the Essential tours in the Atacama Desert.

Punctual we get up, with our body already practically adapted to 100% height and after spending a while in the kitchen of the Pablito Hostel where we had a couple of coca mates, plus some fruit, we stayed on the terrace, enjoying of an incredible sky since the pick-up time for the Tatio Geysers Tour It is between 4 and 4:30 in the morning.
But the minutes go by and nobody comes to look for us, it is more, it is 5:20 in the morning, when we decide to return to the room and call the emergency phone of Desert Adventure to tell them what happened, at which time they ring the bell of the accommodation, explaining Victor, the guide of today, that all travelers have taken longer than expected to be ready, something that has caused them to take more than an hour to reach us, from the time it was planned.
We are not going to deny that we ride in the van half-mosqueados and it is that this delay, first has made us lose more than an hour of the tour, in addition to not being able to see the sunrise in the Tatio Geysers, and also, make us lose ourselves A couple of hours of sleep.
The truth is that before this we believe that the agencies should be tougher and clearly explain to customers that who is not prepared at the time agreed in the contract, will lose their tour, as to wait, and more on this type of tour , it causes you to miss just the moment you wanted to see ...
Another option is to book a trip to El Tatio and Machuca geysers with another recommended agency in advance.

But well, we try to take it with the best face, within the bad, and that is that in addition to the delay, the 9 travelers who go in the van are asleep and have left all their things in the seats that are free, so we do not There is another to sit apart, I in the back seat, right next to the food coolers, on top of a wheel, which leaves me no legroom, making the journey a true martyrdom, which I only forget when I see that we are getting closer to Geothermal Field of Tatio Geysers, the real reason to come to this tour.
We park just when it is 7 in the morning, 1 hour and 20 minutes later than the time we leave San Pedro de Atacama, with the sun quite high and having missed the sunrise, so while Victor gives some explanations of the place and prepares breakfast, we move away from the group, commenting with him, to enjoy this incredible place that makes us feel like the earth is alive and calms the bad feeling with which we started the day.

Tatio Geysers Tour

As we said before, while Victor gives some explanations, we have taken the opportunity to take a walk around the nearest area, trying to recover some of the lost time, which allows us to enjoy almost alone, since most groups have already started the tour itself, of this spectacular Geothermal Field, which is the third in the world, although the first in height, after Yellowstone and Iceland.

Tatio Geysers Tour

After this first contact, we approached the rest of the group that already begins to taste breakfast and for the first time these days, we had a double coffee accompanied by a couple of sweets, which our stomachs tone while we enjoy an environment Unique and spectacular scenery, which is undoubtedly the best setting for a breakfast.

Tatio geysers

After breakfast and leave everything collected, we meet again with the group and follow Victor, through the different paths, which bring us to the different geysers and fumaroles, properly marked, since although they seem totally harmless, many of them they sprout at more than 85 degrees, a temperature that has little joke and for which it is well worth being cautious and avoiding nonsense that will lead us to any unpleasant surprise.

Tatio Geysers Tour

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Tatio Geysers Tour

We do a good part of the tour attached to Victor that explains details and curiosities, both of the Geothermal Field in general lines and of the geysers that we find here in particular, taking us in addition to spectacular landscapes, the feeling of knowing a little more of this incredible place, that even being only 90 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama, it seems that we have entered the center of the earth.

Path Geysers of Tatio

With the sun already high, hiding among the fumaroles up to 10 meters high, which we find every few meters, time goes by so fast that when we realize we have been walking for 50 minutes between boiling water and steam, where we will not deny it , we would have stayed a few more hours.

Tatio geysers

It's almost 8:30 when we return to the van to make way for what will be the second stop of this Tatio Geysers Tour and that will take us in 5 minutes to the thermal pool of the Geysers of Tatio.

Book the best rated Spanish tours and excursions in San Pedro de Atacama by travelers:
- Excursion to the Moon Valley
- Piedras Rojas, Salar de Atacama and high plateau lakes
- Excursion to the geysers of El Tatio and Machuca
- Archaeological tour of Atacama
- Excursion to the Salar de Atacama and Toconao
- More excursions and tours here

Here we have two options, bathing, leaving our clothes in the lockers enabled for it for what they give us about 30 minutes, or directly take the opportunity to walk through this area where we find geysers and fumaroles again.

Hot Springs in the Tatio Geysers

Taking into account that we have lost enough time this morning in the collection, in our case we decided to opt for the second option and tour this area for free, which will allow us to enjoy it practically alone, since most people come here to get in in the hot springs and enjoy this unique experience.

Tatio Geysers Tour

Although we were again in the van at 9 in the morning, we see that the rest of the group is still in the hot springs, so we take advantage to continue enjoying the place and of course, continue shooting the camera, with which I sure, We will take a good collection of images and memories.

Tatio Geysers Tour

A few minutes after 9, we are all back in the van to leave the geothermal field and get on our way to Vado Putana, a wetland that is a few kilometers from the Tatio Geysers, where we arrive when it is 9:30 and where We are about 15 minutes, delighting in this landscape so different and equally incredible.

Vado Putana

After this stop we follow the path to make a stop in Machuca, a small town, where we arrive in just 10 minutes and where we have almost 45 free minutes to explore it. At this point we would say that the logical thing would have been to extend the time in the Geysers of the Tatio and dedicate to this small town a little less time and more after the delay we had this morning, but as usually happens in these cases, traveling organized is having what abide by the rules, so we have no choice but to take it easy and, above all, to visit the town with complete peace of mind.

Machuca Church

Machuca houses

Another of the things we do is take advantage, despite the time it is, to eat a flame skewers for 3000CLP per person, which we have to say, they are very good and they just sang our stomach to resume this last part of the Tatio Geysers Tour, where we start the way back when it's 10:45 in the morning.

Without a doubt and after the experience, we have to say that the Tatio Geysers Tour It is a tour must be done yes or yes, even if you have already been to Yellowstone or Iceland, as is our case. This was one of our doubts, but seen what we have seen, we can say that it has nothing to do with the previous two, in addition to being the third largest geothermal field in the world and the first located over 4000 meters, something that should also be taken in mind, since the landscapes and conditions are totally different.

We arrived at San Pedro de Atacama when it is 11:30 in the morning and considering that we have had breakfast for nothing and we have eaten the skewers of llama meat, we decided to stay directly at the Pablito Hostel to rest a few hours and finally take us A time of reading and leisure that we had not had since we arrived in this area of Chile.

We spend part of the afternoon between the room, the garden and the pool and when it's 6:00 in the afternoon we decide that the time has come to go out to the streets of San Pedro de Atacama where we want to go for a walk and enjoy a little of the town, since the previous days, with the tours and the malaise of altitude sickness, it has been impossible.

We arrive at the square of San Pedro de Atacama, where there is a bar that is the only one in town that has a small terrace outside, since most bars and restaurants have a terrace but an internal terrace, so we cannot resist and occupy a Of the 7 tables they have, where we are great and where we take the opportunity to have a couple of fruit juices for 6100CLP that are barbaric, although the truth is that this price is not for less.

San Pedro de Atacama

After this rest time, it is time to stroll through the town, delighting in a little streets full of charm, which although many consider a theme park, we have to say, we have fallen in love and where we would not mind spending a few more days, especially now that we are fully recovered from altitude sickness and we are fully enjoying the place.

San Pedro de Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama Store

And how could it be otherwise with the amount of little shops full of charm that we have, we also take the opportunity to make some purchases, with which for sure, this incredible area of Chile will remain forever in our memory.

San Pedro de Atacama

It's just after eight in the afternoon when we approached the Pizzeria El Charrua where we were on the first day, that we did the Valley of the Moon and Death Valley Tour and where we ordered a family pizza and two waters for 15000CLP with which we end the day in the best way, at least gastronomically speaking, since San Pedro de Atacama still reserved some surprise for us ... and that is that the streets of the town, if during the day they are spectacular, during the night they acquire a special atmosphere, that We recommend you not to get lost, especially if the next day you don't have to get up early.

San Pedro de Atacama

It's 10 o'clock at night when we start our way back to Hostal Pablito, where we arrive surrounded by a sky as starry as we could never have imagined, and that we can't help photographing, although we know, it doesn't show even 1% of what we really We saw during all the nights that we have been in the Atacama Desert.

Sky San Pedro de Atacama

So we sat on the terrace, avoiding going to the room since we know that this is the last night we spent here, a place that has enamored us and with which we have understood the reason why so many people consider this place as one of The most beautiful in the world.

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