Santiago
Last year, towards the end of June, we booked this trip quite last minute for our August summer vacation.
It turned out to be one of the most memorable journeys we’ve taken
Landing in Santiago at dawn, after crossing the Andes under a pink-washed sky, it felt like entering a different scale of reality. From the airplane window, the mountains appeared endless, silent, almost unreal – the first indication that this journey would be defined by vastness.
There are some cities that are treated as mere transitions. Santiago is definitely not one of them! It offers a cultural grounding that many travelers skip too quickly.
We spent three days in Santiago, in the Barrio Italia area, a neighbourhood that felt like the right entry point into the city’s rhythm.
We stayed at Maison Italia, which we really loved. Our room had a small terrace where we could sit outside and have breakfast. Sitting outside with a morning coffee, in the light August breeze gave everything a completely different feeling.
The area we chose – Barrio Italia, wasn’t just convenient for exploring Santiago. It had its own quiet gravity. Small restaurants, coffee shops, slow mornings and an atmosphere that’s difficult to define but easy to recognize once you’re in it.
Almost immediately after arriving, we left our bags at the hotel and headed straight on foot into the city’s beating heart, Plaza de Armas. Truly, walking is the best way to enter a place’s rhythm from the very beginning.
The intensity of the city was disorienting in the most beautiful way. Crowds, sounds and unfamiliar scents, everything felt immediate and alive. I remember being completely absorbed by it, as if the journey had already begun to shift something within me.
One thing to always try and avoid is starting a trip with preconceived ideas based only on what we read online. Every place has something beautiful to discover, you only need to give it the right time, stay open, and use a bit of common sense. Santiago is a city that promises a completely different experience.
What we loved in Santiago
– San Cristóbal Hill
One of the best viewpoints over the city. Going up allows you to understand Santiago’s scale and its relationship with the surrounding mountains. The view was breathtaking.
– Cerro Santa Lucía
More intimate and atmospheric, almost like a hidden garden in the middle of the city. Perfect for a slower moment within the urban rhythm.
– La Chascona – Pablo Neruda’s house
A glimpse into the poet’s surreal and personal world. Even for non-literature lovers, the visit feels visually and emotionally rich. – Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes Elegant and quiet, ideal for experiencing Santiago’s cultural dimension and taking a break from the city’s pace.
– National Library of Chile
A peaceful and unexpectedly atmospheric stop. There’s a small coffee shop inside where we loved sitting quietly, sipping good coffee and observing the everyday rhythm of Santiago life.
– Evenings like locals: dinner, local wine & a classic pisco sour
Evenings in Santiago naturally ease into slow dinners and relaxed drinks. Exploring the local wine scene and trying a well-made pisco sour quickly became part of our daily ritual. We especially loved Bocanáriz in Lastarria for its exceptional Chilean wine selection, and dinner at Casa luz Restaurant in Providencia, which felt intimate, warm and beautifully atmospheric.
Arrival in Atacama
After three really nice days in Santiago, we took an early morning flight to the Atacama.
We landed at Calama Airport and decided to book a transfer to our hotel. We used Transfer Pampa, which we arranged the day before and everything was very smooth and efficient, definitely an easy option after an early flight.
The drive from Calama Airport to San Pedro de Atacama takes about 1.5 hours. As soon as you leave the airport, you can already feel that the landscape is about to change completely.
We stayed at Hotel La Casa de Don Tomás, which had the perfect location for us, within walking distance of the center. In general, San Pedro offers many beautiful hotels and Airbnbs, with options for every taste and budget.
We really loved the center of San Pedro.
It’s full of restaurants, empanada spots and cafés, offering plenty of choice while still keeping a laid-back, local feel. Having the volcano rising to the skies in the background makes the whole setting feel truly majestic.
Exploring Atacama
To explore the area, we decided to rent a car and do a self-drive. In our experience, this is definitely the best choice as it gives you much more freedom to move at your own pace and experience the landscapes in a more personal way.
We used Chimpyway Rent a Car service and we had a great experience with the team. Communication was very easy through WhatsApp and they delivered the car directly to our accommodation. The check-out was also done at our hotel, which made everything super convenient, especially since we were leaving for Bolivia right after Atacama (spoiler: next article). For us, it was definitely the right choice.
On the day we arrived, we decided to take things slowly. We had lunch at Emporio Andino, which was delicious and their coffee was excellent! It was the perfect gentle start after an early travel day.
Later in the afternoon around 4:30 pm, we drove towards Valle della Marte for sunset.
Even the drive there left us speechless. The colors were already spectacular and there was almost no one around leaving the whole space just for us. That was the moment we realized how right it felt to explore Atacama at our own pace.
We parked at the lower part of the valley and walked towards the viewpoint, completely alone in this surreal landscape.
In Atacama, what stayed with us the most was not just reaching places, but moments like this where we experienced the journey in between.
During our time in the Atacama, we explored the area slowly and without a strict plan.
One of the places that stayed with us the most was Valle de la Luna.
Located just 10 km from San Pedro, it’s one of the most iconic landscapes in the Atacama, and it truly feels otherworldly.
We recommend taking your time here, at least three hours, if not more. We stayed longer, just to fully experience the silence and the scale of the landscape. When walking through the valley, between salt formations and sand dunes, you truly start to unravel the unique soul of this place. We ended our visit at Mirador de Kari, included in the Valle de la Luna ticket, where watching the colors shift across the landscape felt almost unreal.
Another stop we didn’t have high expectations for, but that turned out to be beautiful, was Rainbow Valley.
Located in the Río Grande basin, getting there is part of the experience.
The drive takes you through small oases and streams, and we actually found it even more scenic than the road to Valle de la Luna.
The gravel road might feel a bit rough at first, but it’s manageable.
There’s a small ticket booth along the way, and we appreciated that no advance reservation was needed.
The rock formations here feel almost cinematic, like something out of a movie.
We actually preferred the more relaxed atmosphere, with unexpected views and layers of color that make the whole experience feel very unique. If you have a bit more time in your itinerary, Rainbow Valley is definitely worth adding.
Another experience that really surprised us was Lagunas Baltinache, which turned out to be one of the most unique.
Getting there requires a bit of effort, including a long stretch on a dirt road, and we were honestly a bit worried about getting a flat tire after reading a few stories online. Luckily, everything went smoothly.
The lagoons appear suddenly in the middle of the desert, with bright blue water contrasting against the white salt and warm tones of the surrounding landscape.
A simple path connects the different pools, and in some of them you can even swim.
The water is freezing, but because of the high salt content, you float effortlessly.
Cold, but very fun and completely worth it.
We also visited Laguna Chaxa and Laguna Tebinquinche, both very different but equally special.
Between the two, Laguna Tebinquinche was probably our favorite. The silence there was something else. You could hear salt crystals crackling and the smallest movements in the landscape. It felt almost meditative.
One of my dreams was to visit Piedras Rojas, but unfortunately, due to a snowstorm, it wasn’t possible.
We only managed to visit Laguna Miscanti, which was still incredibly beautiful.
A good reason to come back and experience the Altiplanic lagoons properly next time.
The drive itself was just as beautiful.
Along the way, we saw several vicuñas and it was also one of the first moments where we started to feel the altitude slightly.
Staying well hydrated is definitely important here.
On the way towards Socaire, where excursions to Piedras Rojas and the lagoons usually begin, you can also stop at the Tropic of Capricorn sign. It’s one of those classic photo spots, maybe a bit touristy, but since it’s not something you experience every day, it’s still worth stopping and capturing the moment.
Last day in Atacama
On our last day in Atacama, we slowed things down again and spent time at Termas de Puritama, which felt like the perfect way to unwind. A glimpse of green appears at the bottom of the valley, almost unexpected in the middle of the desert.
The thermal pools follow the natural flow of the river, gradually changing temperature.
Everything is designed to blend into the landscape, with a strong respect for the surroundings. It’s simple, but very well thought out.
That same evening, we had dinner at Ephedra Restaurant, one of the most memorable meals of the trip.
Local ingredients, a beautiful setting, and a very relaxed atmosphere.
They also offer a taxi service, which was very helpful for us.
On the way back, we stopped to look at the sky and saw the Milky Way clearly above us. It felt like the perfect ending to our time in the Atacama.
After these incredible days in the Atacama, we were ready for another adventure, heading towards Bolivia. But that’s a story for the next article.
If you have any questions or need any recommendations, feel free to reach out.
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A presto,
Thushini
