People of San Pedro de Atacama

The Likan-Antai people, meaning “people of this land”; People who for us are better known as Atacameños, are the originators of this place, today known as San Pedro de Atacama. The incredible story of how they were able to overcome and tame the driest desert in the world, hidden under the sand, has been unveiled and rebuilt by modern archeology. Showing us a fascinating history, a unique village and a wonderful area. Thus, people from other parts of Chile and the world, who have come to know their history and enjoy their landscapes, have been trapped forever in this enigmatic and wonderful oasis.

Nowadays, the people of San Pedro de Atacama are a mixture of descendants of Atacameños and citizens of the world, creating a cultural diversity of peaceful coexistence, whose common denominator is the attachment to nature and the valuation of the quality of life. In the 1992 census the population had 2,829 inhabitants and for the last census carried out in 2002, the population increased to 4,969 people. This is not due to an increase in the birth rate but to the phenomenon of immigration.

Its labor sources are associated with the economy of tourism, mining and subsistence agriculture.