Traveling in Atacama in winter
Useful information
August is upon us and many of our travelers have chosen Atacama, Chile for their summer holidays. We have prepared a summary of useful information for this trip
1.- Temperatures:
August is winter in the southern hemisphere and the area you visit includes deserts and plateaus, the altitude ranges from approximately 2400 to 4500.
In August in the Atacama Desert, daytime temperatures can reach around 22°C (72F).
However, please note that temperatures may vary for different attractions and altitudes.
Some trips, the first ones you will do, are at an altitude of 2400 meters above sea level.
The Valley of the Moon, the Valley of Death, and the salt lagoons, among others. For these, you have to
However, always have warm clothes for the evening, as soon as the sun sets, the temperature drops significantly, eventually even going below 0°C (32F) at night.
For trips that take us above 4000 meters (13,100 ft), such as Lagunas Altiplanicas, Piedras Rojas and El Tatio, you need to bring warm clothing as if for a winter day in the mountains in the Alps. The temperature could even drop to -10°C (14F), particularly in the El Tatio area, which can be visited at dawn. But don't worry, extreme cold does not last long, and for those who have taken organized tours hot drinks are provided: tea
cafe, hot chocolate.
For independent travellers, we recommend bringing a thermos with you some tea and coffee.
For the astronomical tour, it is essential to have warm clothes, as for the trip to Tatio, this tour includes hot drinks.
2.- Clothing:
Bring clothes in layers and prefer technical clothing, such as those used for going to the mountains or skiing.
· Some essential items are a warm-down jacket, trekking trousers, light tights, thick gloves, a wool cap, a windproof jacket, and trail or trekking shoes.
· Find comprehensive information on choosing your clothing in this link.
3.- Restaurants
In San Pedro de Atacama: Some recommended restaurants include
Rincón De Sal: Excellent pizza, burgers and drinks. US$ 14 to 19 per person.
Aura Andina Restaurant: Good value for money for lunch. US$ 22 per person.
Ckunza Tilar: Excellent salmon ceviche and pisco sour. US$ 18 to 22 per person.
Pizzería El Charrúa: Good takeaway pizza. US$ 14 to 19 per person.
Inca’s Restaurant San Pedro: Excellent Peruvian food. US$ 17 to 22 per person.
Las Delicias de Carmen, typical Chilean gastronomy. US$ 17 to 22 per person.
La Casona, typical Chilean gastronomy US$ 28 to 250 per person.
4.- Altitude sickness:
Altitude sickness, also known as altitude sickness, it is a condition caused by the body's failure to adapt to high altitudes. It occurs when the thinner air at high altitudes has less oxygen pressure available, leading to symptoms such as headache, fatigue, nausea, irritability and, in the most severe cases, shortness of breath, confusion and even coma.
Prevention is easy!
Drink lots of water and avoid alcohol.
Don't push yourself too hard.
Consult your doctor for any medications or try local coca leaves.
If you have a headache, try drinking tea or coffee first, usually, the headache caused by altitude disappears with a hot drink and a walk.
If you consider it necessary to take a medicine, the classic aspirin, paracetamol, or ibuprofen work well, provided that you have no contraindications for taking these drugs and they have been recommended to you by your doctor.
If one of you suffers from headaches, nausea and/or other discomforts that do not go away within 3 hours, we ask you to call your local contact as soon as possible, to assess your specific situation and advise you accordingly.
5. Currency:
The currency used in Chile is the Chilean Peso (CLP). Currently, US$ 1.00 corresponds to approximately 900 CLP.
Here are some tips for managing money for your trip:
Credit and debit cards are well accepted in Chile, and you can pay almost all of your trip expenses with your cards.
Credit cards can be blocked when we travel, to prevent this problem it is advisable to notify your bank that you will be using the card in a South American country.
We always recommend travelling with two credit cards per person, if possible.
It is always advisable to bring cash with you, at your discretion, no less than US$ 200.00 per person
With your credit/debit cards, you can always get Chilean cash at an ATM, prefer those found inside a bank, when the bank is during opening hours.
In some places, such as San Pedro de Atacama and Easter Island, it may happen that the ATMs do not have enough money at certain times, considering that August is a peak month for tourism. Plan to arrive at these places with some local currency in cash.
In some places, such as San Pedro de Atacama and Easter Island, it may happen that credit cards cannot be used because the internet and/or telephone connection is too poor at a certain time, always plan to have cash with you when going to restaurants and shops.
Changing foreign currency into Chilean pesos: we recommend doing so upon arrival in Chile at the airport or in authorized exchange houses. There is always a security issue when exchanging money; on the one hand, the risk of receiving fake money is not excluded, and if you change money in certain places, you run the risk of being robbed on the way out. The safest places will always be the airports and exchange offices that your local contact or your guides will recommend.
6. Tips:
In Chile, guides, drivers, restaurant services, porters, etc. expect a tip. It is not mandatory and above all, it must have a relationship with the quality of the service provided to you. You should not feel pressured to tip if dissatisfied with the service.
Here are some examples of how much to tip in each case.
Private guide day trip CL$15,000
Guide group day trips CL$ 3,000
Private day trip driver CL$5,000
Driver for shared day trips CL$ 2,000
Porter: CL$2,000
Taxi or Uber driver: no tips
In restaurants: it is a usual practice in Chile to present the bill to the customer with the 10% suggested tip already included in the receipt. You can accept it, and, in this case, you can give the tip with the bill payment. Or you can refuse and reserve the right to tip the waiter directly in cash and in the amount you prefer. Or don't give it if you are not satisfied with the service.
Vivianne Cuq, July 2024