After facing the cold of the desert and being rewarded with one of the most incredible views I’ve ever seen, the tour to Geysers El Tatio still had some surprises for me. We left the geyser field and went to a thermal water pool. Yes, you heard (or read?) right!
Termas del Tatio, Atacama Desert
Out in the open, at a temperature nearing the negative and a gorgeous landscape around, the pool draws its warm water from the underground. You have to be brave to take your clothes off and jump into the water, as the cold can be a little scary, but when we got in and felt the warm water, it was really good! You don’t feel like leaving the place at all.
When we got to the thermal pool, our group was the only one there, so it felt like a private tour. There are some dressing rooms next to the pool where you can change, but it’s better to have your swimwear underneath your clothes. You don’t have any lockers to keep your things there, so be careful where you leave your belongings. I didn’t have to worry much, as our group was the only one in the pool at that moment.
We stayed there for about 40 minutes. I gotta say that I loved the experience. At some parts of the pool, as you moved your feet on the sand, you could feel the hot water coming up. Anyway, you’ve crossed the desert to get there, so jump in and don’t be too fussy!
Well, at least not until it’s time to get out of the water. Can you imagine how cold it gets? I’ve never dressed up so fast in my whole life XD
Back to the car, we continued on our way through some amazing places. In many parts, we could stop and get out of the car to take some pictures.
La Putana River
This is Rio La Putana (La Putana River). There are no words to describe this landscape.
Ayllu Car, La Putana River
Our way back still held one more surprise for us. We arrived at the picturesque Machuca Village. With houses made of clay and roofs made of straw, the village has only one unpaved street and a small church at the top of the hill.
Machuca Village
It was common for the families living there to place a cross on the front door of their houses to get protection. As time went by, they started to place them on the rooftops instead, as we could see on the houses there.
The pause at the village is an opportunity for you to have a snack. I had taken a sandwich I’d bought the day before in San Pedro, but you can buy some snacks made by the women in the village.
Finally, we continued on our way back to San Pedro de Atacama, always going through paths that surprised us.
We didn’t plan any other tours for the rest of the afternoon that day. We took our time to rest, stroll around San Pedro and schedule the Astronomic Tour, which we took at night on that same day. But you’ll read more about that in the next post!
- General information about the tour was provided in the post: Geysers del Tatio – Part 1
- Read this post in Portuguese: Geysers El Tatio: Termas del Tatio e Povoado Machuca
