After visiting San Pedro de Atacama, I thought I was heading straight to Salta and spending my days drinking Malbec. So yeah, that didn’t happen. Luckily, a friendly local heard the panic in my voice at the bus station and suggested a few places north of Santiago I could stop at. So, naturally, I bought a ticket to Caldera on the spot with no research.
Northern Chile is often skipped, and instead people will hop on a 24 hour bus (or a cheap flight) down to Santiago. However, if you have the time, I recommend heading down the coast and seeing an often skipped (but beautiful and worthwhile!) portion of Chile.
where to stop in northern chile
san pedro de atacama
If you’re heading south from the Salt Flats of Bolivia, you’ll end up in San Pedro de Atacama de Chile. Most people I had talked to enjoyed their time here, but I can’t say I loved the town. For me, there seemed to be nothing unique and everything was very touristy. To be fair, I was there during prime summer and it was PACKED with Chileans on vacation… with terrible weather on top of it (somehow while in the desert, I got caught in TERRIBLE thunderstorms?!). Not to say that there is anything wrong with this all the time, as normally things are touristy for a reason. But here, it just seemed to me like well, there wasn’t. BUT! Like I said before, almost everyone else I met LOVED the town. And if you’re coming from Bolivia, the sun and heat feel amazing!
The one activity I did here was Valle de la Luna, which if you spend the day here, I recommend! Other popular activities include astronomic tours (what I was really looking forward to, but did not get to do due to the weather wompwomp), floating in Laguna Cejar, and seeing the geysers. More suggestions on how to spend a few days on Just Leaving Footprints.
how to get there: most people transfer here after a tour from Salar de Uyuni or buses run from Salta, Argentina
caldera & bahia inglesa
So arriving in Caldera didn’t start off on the best foot – sleeping through my stop (I didn’t know Caldera wasn’t the final destination!) and two hostels overbooking. Caldera is a relatively small town, but it was popping with Chileans on vacation (heads up, February seems to be a popular time, so if you’re headed there, be sure to book in advance).
There is not too much to see or do in Caldera itself, but a quick 20 minute bus ride away is the beautiful beach, Bahia Inglesa. Somehow in those 20 minutes, the beach changes from grey and smelling of fish… to a beautiful calm, clear water. While I don’t consider myself a “beach person” per say, I LOVED spending reading, dipping in the water, and people watching while lounging in the sand. Bahia Inglesa is a resort town and not much besides the beach and a few restaurants and hotels, so I highly recommend staying in Caldera to save some money.
how to get there: from San Pedro de Atacama, take a bus to Calama (~1.5 hours), then take an overnight bus there (don’t make my mistake – Caldera probably isn’t the last stop… set an alarm!).
Bahia Inglesa: from Caldera, either head to the main plaza and jump on a bus ($500 CLP) or ask a local to point out where the colectivos ($1000 CLP) run (or just look for the black cars that say “Bahia Inglesa” on top)
la serena
Another beach city and much bigger than Caldera, this stop in La Serena for me was used as the gateway to getting to the Elqui Valley. I only spent one day there, so I can’t personally recommend a ton to do, but I do suggest spending some time at Parque Japones and visiting the Faro Monumental, the lighthouse of La Serena. And on top of that? You’re at the beach! So spend your days there!
how to get there: buses run regularly from Caldera (about 5 hours)
valle de elqui
Pisco Elqui – my favorite stop in Northern Chile! I can’t quite put my finger on what it was… but Pisco Elqui is said to be the magnetic center of the earth so maybe I was just feeling that cosmic energy.
Besides great energy, the Elqui Valley is known for two things – pisco (bet you didn’t see that one coming) and clear night skies. So you’ll 100 percent want to visit a distillery or two (or three!) and partake in a stargazing activity. Besides drinking and star gazing, there are also opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain bike riding.
how to get there: from La Serena, head to “Buses a Punta de Choros” where buses run about every 20 minutes (make sure the bus is not only going to Vicuña!). On your way back to La Serena, I recommend hoping off at Diaguitas for a stop at Cervecera Guayacán
Did you travel to Northern Chile? What other stops did you make?
