The town

The beautiful town of San Pedro de Atacama is located in the second region of Chile, in the most arid desert in the world, specifically in the northern sector of the Atacama Salt Flat, which owns 30% of the world’s reserves of Lithium; At the foot of the imposing Licancabur volcano, belonging to the impressive Andes mountain range.

The archaeological capital of Chile, over the years has become more important because it concentrates an archaeological heritage of great cultural and scientific value. In its surroundings there are innumerable archaeological sites atacameños, as they are the Pucará of Quitor, Aldea de Tulor and Zapar among others. Various archaeological pieces of the Atacameña community are in the Museum of San Pedro de Atacama.

The center of San Pedro de Atacama has an urban and architectural layout with a clear Spanish colonial influence, being evident in the old adobe houses and in the town church.

The town is divided into 14 Ayllus, which correspond to the ancestral family division of agricultural lands, each of these ayllus operates in an organized way with a directive chosen by each of these communities. The ayllus furthest from the center of the village are mainly engaged in maize and alfalfa farming and the raising of sheep, goats, llamas, birds and rabbits.

Today San Pedro de Atacama has a resident population of around 5,000 inhabitants, mostly atacameñas families, however, an important number is constituted by “afuerinos” inhabitants of other regions of Chile and even of the world, that marvels for The charms of the desert have decided to stay to live.