On Tuesday, July 2, 2019, a Total Solar Eclipse occurred at around 16:30 local time in the region of Coquimbo in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

The Totality took place at 16:46 and lasted for 2 minutes and 18 seconds.

For that special occasion, ChileMontana organized and led two expeditions: a 10-day long trip exploring San Pedro de Atacama and surroundings.

For those with less time available, we created a shorter version, just five days, that enabled the participants to explore the Atacama desert and observe the celestial phenomena in total privacy and far from any light pollution and crowds.

To provide our guest the best possible and accessible conditions for this unique event, one year ahead, we signed an agreement with a strategic lodging in Choros Bajos, a coastal community located 575 km north of Santiago, between La Serena and Copiapo.

This property was our Choros Base Camp, where we celebrated the success of the expedition at the end of the Eclipse day.

Reviews from our customers:

Dear Vivianne,

Greetings from Santiago.  It was an excellent trip, everything went well (except that the navigation at Chanaral de Aceituno was cancelled due to bad weather), superb location and conditions to witness the eclipse.  Thank you very much for all the arrangements. 

Thanks again, and hope to see you at the next year's eclipse

Best regards,

Tsuyoshi

Hi Vivianne,

The solar eclipse tour was fine.

All members enjoyed the black sun.

Unfortunately, my camera didn't work during the eclipse, so I don't have pictures. But other expedition members took great shots and will share them. And Claudia looked very happy to take some good photos of the eclipse, too.

I'll visit Pucon for the next solar eclipse. And I’m considering to observe the eclipse from the top of Volcan Lanin.

Thanks for the good staff!

Y.Fujimoto

On July 2, 2019, I participated in the Atacama Solar Eclipse Expedition, organized by ChileMontana.

All was just perfect: the accurate organization, the friendly staff, the great food, the Atacama desert, and the sky.. everything.

But what made this experience really special was the choice of the spot where we waited and observed the solar eclipse. It was a hidden corner in the Atacama, with just our small expedition group and the staff, in a quiet and peaceful area, no other people, no noise, perfect view of the sky. Really the ideal place for such an event.

Colleen L. France

O lugar de onde vimos o Eclipse foi realmente lindo, encima de uma montanha, no meio da natureza, sem compartilhar o lugar com mais ninguém, só com nosso grupo.

A empresa tinha toda uma estrutura com barracas e tudo saiu melhor do que esperávamos, super recomendados!

Edivanda, Brasil

Solar Eclipse Tour

I joined ChileMontana's expedition to the total solar eclipse in 2019 July. On the day of the eclipse, they drove us up to the observing site in the mountains. It was indeed an excellent site and we were able to witness the once-in-a-lifetime event in a perfect condition. Lodging, food, small trips around the lodge, and transportation from/to the airport were also included. Overall, it was a nice, well-prepared trip. Looking forward to seeing them again.

Menkachen

Excelente experiencia

Momento inolvidable estar en un eclipse. Una experiencia de viaje fabulosa, emocionante, entretenida. El grupo fue muy simpático y los lugares de Chile preciosos. Los guías de excelente calidad. Sin duda volveré a viajar para el próximo eclipse en Diciembre 2020 en el sur de Chile.

Claudia B

Find out more about our Solar Eclipse 2020 Expedition here