ETHNOTOURISM A universe of living cultures, Atacameña, Aymara and Quechua
Knowing about our ancestors is fundamental, learning from the ancient cultures that precede us, and many of those traditions are alive thanks to the indigenous communities that still inhabit the valleys and heights of the interior.
In the Antofagasta Region, the predominant native cultures are Atacamenian, Quechua, Aymaran and Likanantay, each with its own cultural elements, yet sharing rich history, tangible and intangible heritage, rich gastronomy and a value for the land that provides food and life.
This journey to the past begins from Calama to Alto Loa passing through Chiu Chiu, where the oldest church in Chile is; Lasana a magical valley that has some of the oldest engravings; Turi with its baths in stone jars in the open air; Caspana; until reaching San Pedro de Atacama, where there is a huge ancestral culture, in its textiles, crafts, pottery, pictoglyphs and pukarás.
In addition, in Ayquina, near Calama, the most important religious festival in the region takes place every September, the festival of “the Virgin of Guadalupe de Ayquina” where the Virgin of Guadalupe is venerated, lasts almost a week, but the main days are September 7th and 8th, a party full of colors, dances and a ceremony with the whole community.
What to do
San Francisco de Chiu Chiu
San Francisco de Chiu Chiu, known as Chiu Chiu, is a town located in the Antofagasta Region, which has among its tourist attractions, the Church of San Francisco, a National Monument, dating from the year 1540 and which is one of the most ancient preserved in Chile, in addition to having a vast craftsmanship and cultural importance as it is part of the Inca Trail and home of the Atacameños, an indigenous culture that formed part of the north of our country.
Location: 30 km east of the city of Calama
Distance kms from Calama airport: 39.7 kilometers by Route 21
Time distance from Calama Airport: 36 minutes
Lasana
Mostly known as Valle de Lasana, it is a small Atacamenian town in the Antofagasta region, located along the river Loa canyon, a human settlement, dedicated to agriculture and highlighted by its pictoglyphs, and for being descendants of the Lickan Antay Culture, of Atacameño origin.
Location: 40 kilometers northeast of the city of Calama
Distance kms from Calama airport: 50.6 kilometers by Route 21
Time distance from Calama Airport: 43 minutes.
Caspana
Locality part of the Province of El Loa, which is formed by the ravine formed by the Loa River, a tributary of the Salado River, which has agricultural terraces and the Church of San Lucas and the Caspana bell tower, declared a National Monument in the category of Historical monument.
Location: 85 kilometers north of the city of Calama
Distance kms from Calama airport: 11.5 kilometers by Av Circunvalación / Ruta 25
Time distance from Calama Airport: 16 minutes
Turi
Rustic baths with natural outcropping of warm water, sulfur smell and sandy bottom, contained in rustic pools, such as hot springs and thermal wells, for relaxation and tourist distraction, close to the desert landscape of the place.
Location: Calama, Antofagasta.
Distance kms from Calama airport: 84.7 kilometers by B-165 and Route 21
Time distance from Calama Airport: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Ayquina Festival
Feast of the “Virgin of Guadalupe de Ayquina”, a religious celebration, which is part of the Calama destination, Alto El Loa, a festival lasting almost a week, through religious dances, for the veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe, where it presents a wide range of tourist attractions, highlighting among them the Tatio Geysers, as the main place of tourist activity.
Location: Ayquina, Antofagasta, Chile, Antofagasta Region
Distance kms from Calama airport: 77.8 kilometers by B-165 and Route 21
Time distance from Calama Airport: 1 hour, 7 minutes
Toconce
Pre-Columbian village located at 3,350 meters above sea level, close to the border with Bolivia and the river of the same name, where due to its pre-Inca characteristics, it presents archaeological remains such as petroglyphs and pictoglyphs, in addition its inhabitants practicing terrace cultivation.
Location: 91 kilometers from Calama
Distance kms from Calama airport: 95.1 kilometers by Route B-165
Time distance from Calama Airport: 1 hour, 23 minutes
Ollagüe
Commune located at 3.660 meters above sea level(the highest height of the region). It is placed 195 kilometers from Calama city. Its route offers a cinematic view from large salt flats with the most colorful sunsets an the imposing presence of the Ollague volcano. In this commune there is a strong indigenous presence of Quechua ethnicity who maintain important customs and traditions in commune since the transit of the train which travels to and from Bolivia with inputs and raw materials for the economic development of the region and country.
In order to reach this commune, you must be prepared with oxygen and clothing suitable for extreme cold night and high temperatures at day and solar radiation.
Location: 195 kms from Calama.
Calama airport time distance: 2 hours approx.
Coyo
Indigenous community focused on the Atacamenian culture which stands out for the agriculture activity, This area is still dominated by its native people who deliver its tourist attraction.
Location: San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta.
Distance from Calama airport: 103.6 kilometers by Route 23
Calama Airport time distance: 1 hour, 12 minutes
MACHUCA
Machuca village is a small town, which has its church as a tourist attraction and where the inhabitants have as their main activity the herding of llamas, but where they are currently beginning to participate in tourist activity, with accommodation and crafts, to learn more about of their culture, of the peasants of the Andean highlands and the indigenous history of the peoples of the Atacama desert.
Toconao
Village near San Pedro de Atacama, which has typical colonial architecture in addition to volcanic stone constructions. It is considered as an oasis in which the LickanAntay Vineyard Cooperative produces Ayllú wine, taken from vineyards approximately 2500 meters high.
Location: 40 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama
Distance from Calama airport: 138 kilometers by Route 23
Calama Airport time distance: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Talabre
Village located 3.250 meters above sea level and at the foot of the Lascar volcano. An oasis that offers attractions such as Quebrada de Kezala, the Atacameños agricultural crops ,local cuisine and typical crafts of the local culture.
Location: 60 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama
Distance from Calama airport: 167 kilometers along Route 23, passing the village of Toconao
Calama Airport Time Distance: 2 hours, 4 minutes
Peine
a town raised in the XII century, which has mud, branches and straw constructions(a.k.a the vestiges of the “open peoples”) .These typical buildings are common of the Atacamenian people who built no walled boundaries. Peine’s constructions were declared National Monuments in 1982 for constituting a key witness in the development of indigenous communities in Antofagasta region.
Location: 120 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama, in Peine ravine
Distance from Calama airport: 204 kilometers by Route 23
Calama Airport Time Distance: 2 hours, 22 minutes
