San Pedro de Atacama

The Tentative Site description for San Pedro de Atacama tries to paint a picture of the history of the region from 10,000 BC til the 18th century AD. The focus of a future WHS may however lay in its Pre-Columbian sites, maybe even narrowed down to the Pre-Incan sites, as the Incan site of Catarpe is already part of the Qhapaq Nan WHS. The people who lived in this high desert region settled down to breed llamas and cultivate maize. They were also part of a wider trade route.

The main archaeological site of the area is Tulor, known in Spanish as Aldea de Tulor (meaning: Village of Tulor). I went there on a bicycle, which is easy to rent in the center of San Pedro. It’s a ride of 11km and the terrain is mostly flat, however at a temperature of 32 degrees Celsius and scorching sun it is exhausting. I stopped twice along the way (at a bus stop and a truck weighing station) to get some shade and drink water. When I finally arrived at the archaeological site, I found a cute bike parking but the entrance to the site was closed. Fortunately, a woman came out and told me they were having a lunch break so I needn’t wait long.

The entrance fee is 5.000 pesos and can be paid by card. From the reception area, it then is another 600-meter walk in the heat through the sand to reach the remains. I can …

In December 2018, we took a small break from visiting the in-laws in Santiago to spend a few days travelling around San Pedro and the Atacama desert. Flying to Calama or Antofagasta are by far the cheapest options for people visiting from the capital - direct flights to San Pedro are available but seasonal and pricey. I also would recommend renting a good 4x4, as while the tours a plentiful, many are of dubious quality and value. Having the freedom to do things at your own pace was much appreciated, especially in unrelenting midday temperatures.

Part of the frustration with San Pedro is how poorly the TWHS write-up on the UNESCO site is. It makes it unclear what the main focus of the sight would be, ranging from bronze age Atacaman herdsmen through pre-Incan forts through the colonial churches in the centre of the town. I’m not sure how kindly ICOMOS would look at such a cover-all approach.

The town itself is pretty enough, a single central main street lined with neat little adobe buildings. The main attraction within the town is Igelsia San Pedro, a rather plain white-washed church of the local style. Even in the context of our limited travel within the area, we saw better examples of this style.

However, of much more interest was the pre-colonial sites outside of town. One particular highlight was the ‘Aldea de Tulor’, a 2,000 year old village. When we visited, we were the only people there, suggesting …