Altiplano Villages and Lauca N.P.

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Chile

Classic Chile / Santiago area / Patagonia / Lake District
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Altiplano Villages and Lauca N.P.

Day 1 Arica
Reception: Arica airport. Transfer to the Hotel. In the afternoon take a city tour visiting various important sites, including the historic Morro tower, the Customs building, the Plaza de Armas, with its steel church built by Gustav Eiffel, and a handicraft village. Here you will get a good overview of Andean weaving, basketwork and traditional ceramics. Later, in the Azapa Valley, visit the Archaeological Museum of San Miguel, which houses an important collection of mummies from the ancient Chinchorro culture. On the hillsides of the Azapa Valley you will see many interesting geoglyphs (large hillside stone mosaics).

Day 2 Putre
In the morning we begin a two-day trip to the Chilean Altiplano. On the way, we shall make interesting stops and side-trips to picturesque pre-Hispanic villages like Poconchile and Socoroma, where the native Ayamara people still produce potatoes and maize with traditional agricultural methods and terraces. In the Quebrada de Cardones you will see the majestic Candlestick Cactus in its natural desert habitat. As we climb higher into the Andes we shall encounter pre-Inca pucarás (fortresses), and tambos (inns) which were part of ancient villages and remain as silent reminders of the Tiawanaku and Inca presence in this region. Arriving at the village of Putre you will see agricultural terraces dating from pre-Inca times. Today these terraces are used for cultivating alfalfa and oregano. Overnight in the Hosteria Las Vicuñas in Putre, the only hotel in this lonesome but idyllic area. (B/L/D)

Day 3 Lauca National Park
After breakfast we shall begin to explore the unique landscape and the flora and fauna of the Altiplano. One can expect to see a tremendous variety of wildlife including: guanacos, vicuñas, alpacas, flamingoes, lots of bird-life, pumas, foxes, skunks,armadillos to name a few. Next we shall travel on to Parinacota (alt. 4392 mts). Here the town church dates back to the early 1600 s and the arrival of the Spanish. The town of Parinacota mixes colonial and andino style architectures. In the afternoon along the horizon the snow covered Parinacota Volcano (6.342 mts) will stand starkly before us, against as big and blue a sky as you have ever seen. Immediately in front of us will be Lago Chungará, one of the highest lakes in the world, (alt. 4.500 mts). Lauca National Park is one of the most spectacular in Chile. In the evening we return to Arica. (B,L)

Day 4 Arica
Transfer back to Arica airport after breakfast. (B)

Daily departures with a minimum of 2 people

Price per person double occupancy in US$ till Feb. 28, 2008:

Hotel	group tours	private tours
Arica standard	$635	$683
Arica superior	$660	$708

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MYSTERY
AND DESERT OASIS

"Ique-ique“ means "site of silence" in indian language – but today this lively seaport is anything but this. Iquique was founded in the 18th century and was a trade center of guano and silver. However, the town experienced its „golden age“ during the saltpeter boom. Before the invention of synthetic nitrates for fertilizer and explosives, which would all but close the principal industry of this region, the city of Iquique enjoyed a tremendous economic boom and very cosmopolitan culture. Today the warm beaches and duty free port maintain a strong and vital local economy, but perhaps what is most interesting in Iquique is still that which dates back to its origins. The historic Spanish Club here with mural size paintings of the Quixote stand as testament to a rich cultural heritage which helped shape the country of Chile. Inland the ghost towns, abandoned from one day to the next, still stand and can be visited. The government has begun a restoration project to preserve these memories of a past era.

Day 1 Iquique
Reception: airport or bus terminal in Iquique. Transfer: Hotel Arturo Prat. Afternoon city-tour of important city sites, including Iquique s famous beaches and the bustling harbor - one of the busiest in all of Chile. In the center of the old city we shall see the Plaza Prat with its clock tower and bell dating back to before the war of the Pacific, many historical buildings like the Centro Español and the Teatro Municipal, originally built as an opera house in 1890.

Day 2 Saltpeter ghost towns - Rock Paintings & Oasis of Pica B/BL
After breakfast we shall visit the saltpeter ghost towns of Santa Laura and Humberstone. Santa Laura was the name of the plant where the nitrates were processed and Humberstone was the town where the workers lived. Today the town, minus the inhabitants, remains frozen in time, having literally shut down from one day to the next, after the invention of synthetic fertilizers. After our visit to Humberstone and Santa Laura and on our way to see the geoglyphs of Pintados we shall pass through the largest section of the National Reserve Pampa de Tamarugal. We shall see plantations of Tamarugal, a unique tree species that adapts particularly well to saline soils. We shall see hundreds of pre-hispanic figures on the surrounding hillsides. These large stone mosaics are called the geoglyphs of Pintados. Humans, animals, birds and abstract designs over a variety of sites make up one of the most important Archaeological zones in Northern Chile. Afterwards we shall continue on to the Oasis of Pica. Pica is a town famous for its pleasant climate, citrus groves, and spectacular natural hot-springs. The springs are found in rock pools naturally eroded into high cliffs. There will be time to relax and swim here. Pica is also home to a winery built by Catholic missionaries - the oldest bodega of wine in Chile. The church of Pica (1887) is also very unique. It is built from blocks of natural borax. In the evening drive back to Iquique and overnight.

Day 3 Iquique B
Day of leisure. Time to enjoy the great Iquique beaches or make an optional excursion to the saltpeter ghost towns.

Day 4 Iquique B
Transfer after breakfast to Iquique airport.

Daily departures with a minimum of 2 people.

Price per person double occupancy in US$ till Feb. 28, 2008: $461 with group tours, $574 with private tours

Chile

Altiplano Villages and Lauca N.P.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MYSTERY AND DESERT OASIS

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MYSTERY
AND DESERT OASIS