CIRCUIT:
An early departure takes us on a journey of discovery into the indescribable and magical beauty of the Atacama, the world's most arid desert, in search of the routes followed by ancient civilisations that inhabited this vast area of northern Chile. Visit the nitrate ghost towns of Santa Laura and Humberstone. In Santa Laura, the processing plant and smokestacks are still visible and in Humberstone, the town itself is the main attraction. Notable attraction in Humberstone is its theatre and church, both built of Oregon pine, and its hotel, which boasts a full sized swimming pool, built of iron. It takes only a little imagination to imagine the splendour of this important period in Chile's history. Leaving these ghost towns behind us during, we continue on to the Pintados Geoglyphs, consisting of some 400 figures distributed along the hillsides in thematic groups or panels. Visit the Pica Oasis with its 17th Century church and/or time to enjoy a rejuvenating swim in the hot springs. Visit the Matilla Oasis, the village and religious sanctuary of La Tirana. Return to Iquique.