San Pedro de Atacama is a Chilean town and commune in El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region. It is a popular tourist destination.

San Pedro de Atacama grew, over centuries, around an oasis in the Atacama desert. It is located east of Antofagasta, some 100 km (60 mi) southeast of Calama and the Chuquicamata copper mine, overlooking the Licancabur volcano. It features a significant archeological museum, the Museo Arqueologico R. P. Gustavo Le Paige, with a large collection of mummies and other relics. Native ruins nearby now attract increasing numbers of tourists interested in learning about pre-Colombian cultures. Tourists also visit for other popular activities including sandboarding and stargazing, with the views of the stars from the Atacama unrivalled across the continent.

The town lies at an average altitude of approximately 2,400m (7,900 ft) and visitors often experience mild altitude sickness such as dizziness, lethargy and headaches. The local climate is extremely dry (with little or no rainfall recorded in the town itself) and mild, with daytime temperatures between 25-30 degrees Celsius (77-86°F) in the summer (December to February) and 18-25 degrees Celsius (64-77°F) in the winter (June to August). Nighttime temperatures routinely drop below zero and can reach as low as -10°C (14°F) in the winter.

In the past it was found that the town's water supply was naturally contaminated with high levels of the heavy metal arsenic which leaches from adjacent salt lakes, with levels of as high as 600µg per litre (60 times the WHO recommended maximum) being recorded. Interestingly the indigenous population seem to have developed a natural tolerance to this otherwise toxic metal and suffered few ill effects from drinking the water. Recently a filtration plant has been installed in the town which has reduced the levels of arsenic and other contaminants in the local water supply.

Main sights

El Tatio, a geyser field with over 80 active geysers.
Salar de Atacama, a giant salt area (8,000 km²/3,100 mi²) in the middle of the Atacama Desert.
Chaxas Lagoon, in the Atacama Salt, inhabited by pink flamingoes.
Pukara de Quitor (Fort Quitor). A fortification built by the Atacameno people in the 12th century.
Puritama Hot Springs
Laguna Miscanti (Miscanti Lagoon), an altiplanic lagoon at an altitude of 4,100 m (13,500 ft).
Licancabur, a notable volcano near San Pedro de Atacama.
Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley): a valley where gigantic dunes and rocks abound.
Valle de la Luna ("Valley of the Moon"), a moon-like landscape with ruins of old Chilean salt mines, and worker huts.

Image gallery

Image:Lamas in the sunset San Pedro de Atacama Chile Luca Galuzzi 2006.jpg|Lamas (Lama glama) in the sunset near San Pedro de Atacama Image:Licancabur_Snow.jpg|Licancabur, View of the volcano from San Pedro de Atacama. Image:Chaxas.JPG|Part of the Chaxas lagoon in the Salar de Atacama. Image:Miscanti.JPG|Miscant lagoon Image:Geisers-Del-Tatio-Close-Up.JPG|El Tatio, close up of Del Tatio geyser.

External links

Other pages about Archaeological sites in Chile

-Cueva del Milodon Natural Monument -Cuz Cuz -Easter Island -Mocha Island -Monte Verde -Pukara de Quitor -Puren -San Pedro de Atacama

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Other pages about Oases in Chile

-Pica, Chile -Pozo Almonte -San Pedro de Atacama

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article San_Pedro_de_Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama