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Imagine Latin America  >  Destinations  >  Chile  >  Top 5 Atacama Desert
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Brazil Itineraries

As the largest and most diverse country in South America, Brazil has a lot to offer. Home to the Amazon jungle, wildlife-filled wetlands and white sand beaches, it’s a land of natural beauty. Paired with colonial rich towns and buzzing cities, it’s a country that has it all. After extensively researching each and every corner of Brazil, we have created a number of fantastic itineraries to inspire your Brazilian adventure and allow you to get under the skin of this beauty of a country.

Chile, Argentina and Brazil Wonders

Packed with UNESCO heritage wonders, breath-taking landscapes, vibrant cities and outdoor adventure, this itinerary boasts all of South America's allure, and more.

Brazil Favourites

Imagine your holiday to Brazil... Rio de Janeiro, Copacabana Beach, The Amazon, Iguazu Falls, The Pantanal. It is all here and waiting for you to visit Brazil! We can design a tailor-made luxury holiday to Brazil that fits around your exact requirements whether you want a beach holiday in Brazil, a honeymoon in Brazil, or to a tour of Brazil combined with it's neighbouring countries.

Chile and Antarctica: Fly and Cruise

Perfect for anyone seeking dramatic landscapes and plenty of adventure, this itinerary showcases the contrasts between the bustling capital of Santiago, the iconic horns of Torres del Paine and the impressive icy peaks of Antarctica!

Patagonia

Hailed as one of the world’s last true wildernesses, the staggering beauty and immense vastness of the Patagonia tableland is a force to be reckoned with. Straddling the southernmost regions of Chile and Argentina, divided only by the spine of the Andes, Patagonia encompasses the awe inspiring scenery of both countries. As a hotspot for exploring the great outdoors, boasting diverse wildlife and an array of spectacular landscapes, Patagonia is an ideal destination for any nature lover to discover by road, on foot or horseback.

Chile and Argentina: Off the beaten track

This itinerary is perfect for those who love dramatic landscapes, long for adventure and want to escape the crowds. In two weeks combine Argentina and Chile and indulge in something that little bit different.

Iguazu

Shrouded by the dense Atlantic rainforest, the famed cascades of Iguazu Falls (or Iguassu Falls) are considered one of the Seven Wonders of Nature. Spanning the borders of Argentina and Brazil, and accessible from neighbouring Paraguay, the magnificent spectacle continues to amaze and enthral travellers around the world. Surrounded by national parks boasting an abundance of exotic wildlife, Iguazu is an unbeatable port of call on a trip to either of these Latin America’s titans.

Off the beaten track

For those drawn to the road less travelled, Latin America has its fair share of hidden pockets and intriguing destinations to discover.

Chile and Argentina via the Lakes

Experience the best of South America's Lake District on this all-encompassing itinerary. Combining Chile and Argentina, this itinerary includes outdoor wilderness, an array of luxury hotels and an adventure not to be forgotten.

Classic Chile

Chile is the ultimate destination for nature and outdoor lovers. With a vast variety of spectacular landscapes, from cities to vineyards to glacial mountains, this classic itinerary will take you to Chile's most visited spots.

Top 5 things to do in the Atacama Desert

At 2,500m, the Atacama Desert is both the driest and highest desert on earth. In this harsh, often eerie, yet starkly beautiful desert landscape there is a lot of sunshine, and although the temperature drops below zero at night, generally the year-round climate is pleasant and the transparency of light, unique. The mixture of volcanoes, salt flats and high altitude wetlands is unparalleled. With so much diversity in this small part of Chile, the excursions on offer are endless. We’ve whittled down our top five must-do excursions…

These activities are only just the beginning, call the Latin America team on 020 7622 1116 to find out what else you can experience in this starkly beautiful desert landscape, from hiking to mountain biking, horseback riding and more.

1. Soak in the Puritama Hot Springs

Hidden at the bottom of a steep sided gorge, surrounded by great natural beauty, the River Puritama has eight natural pools, with water which has an average temperature of 33°C at a height of 3500m above sea level. Enjoying a bath in these thermal waters in the heart of the desert is a very special experience; top it with drinks and nibbles provided on floating trays and it really is perfection!

Hot springs, Atacama

2. Experience the Salar de Atacama

The Salar de Atacama is the largest salt-pan in Chile. The Salar contains many smaller lakes, including Laguna Chaxa which is home to a large number of flamingos (three different types of flamingo are found here). The views of the Andes as the sun sets are truly amazing.

Top 5 experiences in Atacama

3. Enjoy the world’s best stargazing

The Atacama, with its clear crisp nights and clean air, offers the perfect window into the Universe. With its dazzling mass of stars and clearly defined constellations, the Atacama Desert is hands down one of the best places in the world to stargaze.

Top 5 experiences in Atacama

4. Tuck into a picnic at the Valley of the Moon

The Valley of the Moon, surrounded by small hills with impressively sharp peaks, will transport you to another world. Appreciate the surreal beauty of the landscape from many viewpoints in the Salt Mountain Range, taking in the scenery of Death Valley and the Andes mountain range as well. Explore these impressive geological formations by foot and enjoy a picnic in the unique surroundings.

Top 5 experiences in Atacama

5. Marvel at El Tatio

El Tatio is the world’s highest substantial geyser field at 4,321m. The geothermal field has close links to the volcanic activity in the zone and consists of huge steam columns which reach heights of 12 metres. Intense sulphur odours and pools of boiling water and mud make this place seem like the initiation of life. To see these geysers in their full glory it’ll be an early and very chilly start, but it is definitely worth it!

Top 5 experiences in Atacama

Feeling inspired? Have a look at our favourite holiday ideas that include time exploring the Atacama Desert:

Highlights of Chile

An all-encompassing highlights tour of Chile, taking in some of our favourite sights and staying in some of our favourite properties! Perfect for a first time visitor looking to indulge and see the best of this fantastic country.

Read more

Active Chile

Combining luxury with outdoor adventure, this itinerary takes you on a journey to some of Chile's unmissable highlights. Perfect for those who love being active, dramatic landscapes and indulging in the finest luxury.

Read more

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Our Price Promise

We want to be really clear about this. We offer amazing value. Tailor-made does not have to mean expensive, it simply means attention to every detail of your trip arranged by a true expert.

Here at Imagine Latin America, we are so confident that we offer the best value on the market that we have a price promise. If you find the exact same holiday cheaper with another UK tour operator, then we promise to beat their price by £50.

Financial Protection

Rest assured that all our holidays are 100% financially protected. Our ATOL bond protects holidays booked in the UK with flights. Our ABTOT bond protects holidays which are booked without flights or those booked outside the UK, either with or without flights.

Protection means that in the unlikely event that we become insolvent; your holiday will be refunded or you will be repatriated if already travelling or have flights with us.

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