Excursions

Mountainbike

 

The geography of Atacama is perfect for mountain biking. We will fully equip and guide you while exploring stunningly beautiful trails and paths that enter pristine territories.


We approach everything that we do with evolution in mind, therefore seasoned mountain bikers will be among our team of guides, no matter if you are a beginner just wanting to pedal for fun & sights, or a person looking to improve your skills on a bike, we have a journey ready.


As in all of Alto Atacama’s excursions, our guides will help you choose the most suitable trails for the day.


20. Catarpe Valley
We cycle from the hotel along the river into the heart of the lovely Catarpe valley. This bike ride takes in the village of Catarpe, the old Inca administrative centre and the tambo. A tambo is where the Incas stored vital provisions for their regular trips from the Andes to the sea and back. This excursion gives visitors a wonderful cultural insight into the lives of the Incas.

Duration: half day
Level: easy (a three hour bike ride covering 15km)
Altitude: 2500m
Acclimatization: none required
21. Ayllu de Quitor/San Pedro village
This gentle bike ride takes us across the beautiful Quitor valley and into the town of San Pedro itself. Along the way, you can enjoy the stunning landscapes, flora and fauna which have made the area so popular with travellers in the world.

Duration: half day
Level: easy (a two hour bike ride covering 10km)
Altitude: 2460m
Acclimatization: none required
22. Cejar Lagoon
We cycle from the hotel through San Pedro and then along a flat and sandy route to the Lagoon. The lagoons are of a striking white colour which contrast with the surrounding mountains and vegetation. And, because they are located inside the Salar de Atacama, the lagoons are extremely salty which makes swimming in it quite a floaty experience.

Duration: half day
Level: medium (a two hour bike ride covering 22km)
Altitude: 2410m
Acclimatization: none required
Note: if you want to swim in the lagoon, we advise that you take waterproof sandals as the ground is very hard and jagged in places.
23. Inca Pass
From Alto Atacama, we cycle up to the cordillera until we reach an old tunnel that cuts though the cordillera. The tunnel is an amazing feat of engineering built by the Chilean government early in the XX century to reduce travelling times from the Andes to the sea. We pass through the tunnel and return to the hotel via Mars Valley.

Duration: half day
Level: difficult (a three hour bike ride covering 20km with two steep climbs)
Altitude: 2700
Acclimatization: two days
24. The Desert Valleys
We cycle towards Mars Valley and climb up to the Cordillera viewpoint. From here, you can see across the oasis and the salt flats to the snow-capped Andes. On our way back to the hotel, we pass through the famous Moon Valley.

Duration: half day
Level: difficult (a three hour bike ride covering 30km)
Altitude: 2600m
Acclimatization: two days