"Termas Puritama" and "Valle de La Luna"

January 3th, 2018

We arrived in San Pedro del Atacama yesterday. We went to a tourist agency (Colque Tours) to buy the tourist packets. The tourist agent is Brazilian, from São José dos Campos. We bought the packets for three days.

Today we went to Puritama Hot Springs. Jonas, the driver, was the tourist guide, explained us about the vegetation: some small grass, typical of desert place, which is the food for Vicunha, a small camel from South America. It is not domesticated. It is in extintion, so the hunt is prohibited.

We saw a Vicunha Family, which the male stays in the front observing the place. The female and the small ones eat all the time.

At the springs

The water is warm, about 30 degrees. There are seven lagoons. The first one the tourists can’t swim because it is the hottest one. We stayed at the second one all the time. The water was about 30 degrees. We stayed there for 2 hours. It was very relaxing.

We are in Atacana Desert. It is interesting because the warm water flows from the button of the land in a desert place.

Look at the stoned mountain seen from the springs.

From everywhere we go in San Pedro del Atacama we see the Licancabur Vulcano (5.916 m.a.s.l). It’s the most attractive one in the place. The guide told us that it is not active but researchers say there is a lake on the top of it and the water is six degrees. In winter time the top of the mountain freezes.

Look at the view of it from Puritama Hot Springs.

In the afternoon we went to Valle de La Luna, Moon Valley. This valley is famous for its resemblance to the surface of the moon, owing to its diferent stratifications and the salt formation that are caused by natural enviromental factors.

We walked through the Salt Mines. Crystals of gem salt can be seen here, caused by the effects of high pressure and the absence of humidity.