El Tatio
El Tatio things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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El Tatio is a geothermal field with many geysers located in the Andes Mountains of northern Chile at 4,320 metres above mean sea level. It is the third-largest geyser field in the world and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
attractions: Geiser del Tatio, Geysers de tatio, restaurants:
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Description
El Tatio is a geothermal field with many geysers located in the Andes Mountains of northern Chile at 4,320 metres above mean sea level. It is the third-largest geyser field in the world and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
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You CAN get here in a normal, two-wheel drive car!! We heard so many horror stories about the road to get here that we almost didn't try, but in the end we gave it a go and we're so glad we did. We set off super early (4am) to give ourselves loads of time, and took it real slow. Most of the road is paved and no problem, there is a section (maybe 15km) where the road is very bouncy/ribbed, but absolutely passable and no need for a high clearance or 4x4. Once inside the site the roads are a little rocky, but again if you just take it slow it is no problem at all. We were driving a VW voyager. We really just wanted to see the geysers without the extras the tour companies were adding on (breakfast and stopping in a village) because we didn't want to pay out for those extra things and even with a tour you have to pay the entry to the geysers as extra. The result would have been 100,000CLP for two of us, instead we paid around 70,000CLP including fuel, hire car costs and entry fees. The geysers themselves were amazing and surreal, completely worth the early start and much better than the pictures can do justice. As everyone says, it was very cold! About -6 for us but soon warmed up as the sun rose. We drove back to Calama rather than San Pedro to return our hire car. This is a journey we would 100% recommend, even if you don't need to go to Calama. The road was tarmac and good condition and the scenery was mind blowing. We saw loads of llamas, donkeys and flocks of small birds, it was one of the best things we have done in the Atacama. A complete contrast from the dry dustiness of San Pedro, this scenery is green and varied with a postcard perfect mountain backdrop. The route was the Camino a Tocopuri, onto the B-159, then B-165 and B-169 through ChiuChiu into Calama.
Stirling2328Stirling2328
100
What a cool place! We started out on the road at 5am and benefited from the full moon. Take B245 all the way. I’d recommend an SUV for higher clearance but you don’t need 4x4. We did see some saloon cars on the road. There are areas of extreme washboard but otherwise the usual potholes to avoid. Pick a line and go at a comfortable speed. If you have a 4x4 you can take the routes off the side of the road to avoid the washboard but we just did 20 KPH as there is deep sand. When done CHECK your hood latch as it probably will work loose with the vibrations and just needs to be closed before getting on a highway or getting up to speed. Google maps says 1 hr 30 but I’d recommend 2 hs to drive and 30 minutes to get tickets and park up. The geysers at dusk and sunrise are awesome. But it you don’t fancy driving in the dark they still looked great around 10 am and it was a lot quieter. Don’t beat yourself up if you get there later than you wanted as it’s a magical place. You don’t need tickets in advance. We paid cash on arrival. Good washrooms and parking areas. Lots of tour groups having fun. Tour is an option to sleep on the way and not have to drive. Honestly the drive was ok if you go slowly and carefully. Nothing outrageously steep (2nd gear was fine) and lots of sign posts and barriers to mark the way. Plus you can follow other cars and buses (just dip the headlights and turn off full beams if you are following). Drive back is beautiful at your own pace. Enjoy the flamingos, vicuña and mountains. Stop in the town of Machuca on the way home for some BBQ, tea and empanadas. Have fun. Slow and steady driving and be safe!
Carl SpickettCarl Spickett
50
This is mostly for self-driving visitors: Tickets: you buy the tickets directly at the entrance, so no pre-booking required (at the time of writing. 15,000CLP pp). Driving: it’s a bumpy road but we managed using a standard 2W rental car, although maybe 15% of trip is quite bumpy and we went at around 30km/h on these stretches (mostly once you reached the plateau). The rest of the road seemed ok and not worse than most other dirt roads around. Timing: we only left San Pedro at 8am and arrived 9.30am. We were pretty much by ourselves at the site (apart from some Llamas). But there is as well a reason for this as the vapour fumes started to fade with the warmer temperatures (like your breath is only “fuming” at the cold temperature). It was still ok-ish around 9.30-10am but when we left at 10.30am, the fumes weren’t that visible anymore. And maybe the sunset lights adds even more magic to the place but we still found it extremely impressive. Note: as of mar 2023: the pools at the site were still closed. Summary: buy tickets there, go early, car with good suspension preferable, no pool swim at the moment. Only concern going at 4am for me would be visibility of the road and the early wake up call.
Alexander KolbAlexander Kolb
30
This is a five-star review for the drive to get there. The geysers themselves are a bit underwhelming as most of them tend to only be one foot or 2 ft tall. Maybe they look taller earlier in the morning when most people go, but we went during the day which was just fine. It is still nice to walk around and see them and relax a bit. We did a self-drive all the way up and the road is fine although it is about 40 miles of gravel road. You would have no problem in a small SUV or a car. On the way up there is a lagoon filled with flamingos that was truly amazing. There was also another marsh area with plenty of animals including donkeys and guancano and other animals. There are also some surreal desert landscapes unlike any that I have seen around San Pedro. The final altitude at the geysers is just over 14,000 ft. Only downside to the geysers is it really is kind of overpriced. At 15,000 Chilean pesos per person that can put the hurt on a family of four. Also swimming is currently not allowed due to what they claim are COVID restrictions, although there don't seem to be any other COVID restrictions anywhere else in Chile
Ken BKen B
20
One of the largest geyser systems of its kind in the world, this is an awe-inspiring spectacle set in the arid extreme high altitude desert climate of the Atacama, not be to be missed! You can take yourself up there via hire car, 4wd is definitely recommended as driving will take 1 to 2 hours otherwise be prepared for an extremely long and bumpy ride on unsealed dirt roads with plenty of boulders strewn across. We did an early morning tour, at the end of the peak season so not too busy and the tour guide was exceptional, we paid 36 USD too instead of the std. 45... which is still good value for money. Note that this does not included the park entrance fee which you have to pay upon entry, bring cash for that! You can spend plenty of time at the site as its pretty large, but be aware of the altitude as you are around 4500m a.m.s.l. especially if coming from sea level without spending any time prior to acclimatise. Probably one of the top 3 things to do in Atacama.
Lionel RishiLionel Rishi
20
The geisers are not the most impressive part of the trip, it’s the scenery on the way there and back. Lots of wildlife in the wetlands, many flamingos, vicuña, and other birds. Many posts recommend going early to catch the sunrise but if you are driving yourself it means driving out early in the dark, which I would NOT recommend as there are many potholes, why risk getting a flat and getting stuck. The photos if the geisers from early morning aren’t that much more impressive. We drove out around 8:30 AM from San Pedro de Atacama, look our time getting there stopping along several areas to take photos of the scenery and wild life. Arrived around 11:00, there were no other tourists, had the whole site to ourselves. On the way back, couldn’t help stopping again for the wildlife.
B ZhouB Zhou
40
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