Explorations in
Atacama

Puri's overland exploration follows the Vilama and Puritama Rivers. Scenic viewpoints lead to a short hike into the Puritama Canyon.

The hike begins in the upper part of Quebrada Jorquencal, a sector with large cacti and archaeological ruins. From there we descend to the Puritama hot springs. We will enjoy lunch there, before continuing our hike along the Puritama River, in a beautiful canyon of native vegetation home to dozens of birds. Our hike ends in the town of Guatín, where the Puritama and Purifica Rivers converge and give life to the Vilama River.

This hike takes place in the Domeyko range, amid great canyons and colors created by the different minerals that make up this mountain range. After getting lost among huge clay walls, we will descend some challenging steps product of the erosion caused by ancient seasonal rivers, and where we will have to use our hands. *Exploration not recommended for people with vertigo or fear of heights.

This hike explores the center of the Puritama Conservation Reserve, an area characterized by its great variety of cacti. Along the way we will have a view of the beautiful Quebrada Jorquenal from above, a canyon full of contrasts, vegetation, life and archaeological remains. We descend along a rocky terrain until reaching the Puritama hot springs.

We start our exploration at the Puritama River creek. We descend to walk along the creek following the river bed between large rock walls...

We take a van to Guatín, a grazing area and junction point of the Puritama and Purifica rivers, and source of the Vilama River...

We take a van to Guatín where we begin an ascending walk. We walk for almost 30 minutes along giant cacti up to the Puritama River creek...

We take a van to the Domeyko Mountain Range where we walk following a creek that used to be a route for gathering and bartering caravans...

We take a van to the Domeyko Mountain Range, where we walk through trails that were formerly used as transit and bartering routes...

We start walking in an old farmhouse at the foot of the volcanoes of the Andes mountain range. We will enter the Jorquencal gorge...

We take a van to Machuca, an Andean Plateau village. We begin exploring a wetland and then walk along a creek to the Grande River...

We take a van to the Yerbas Buenas archaeological site located in the Domeyko Mountain Range. Here we can see...