San Pedro de Atacama (Chile)

Despite its houses made of adobe and its paved or beaten-earth streets, the centre of San Pedro de Atacama does not really have a soul . Directed entirely towards tourism, all it has is a string of restaurants, hotels, grocery stores and excursion agencies. As I was expecting a small, charming village, I was quite disappointed. I also quickly gave up any hope of meeting the locals, for I came across more Americans, British and Argentinians than Atacameno.

One of the most pleasant places in San Pedro is the square: here you can admire the Licancabur and Juriques, as well as the small church that dates from the 16th century. I really liked the Gustavo Le Paige Archeological Museum, which sheds very good light on the history of this region.

On the financial side of things, expect poor value for money with regard to accommodation and restaurants in general. A consequence of massive tourism... However, San Pedro serves a practical purpose as you can arrange excursions from here to Moon Valley, the Del Tatio geysers, Salar, etc . I can only advise you to be well informed before leaving: there are many agencies, but some of them offer very poor service.