Altiplano

The Altiplano is a high plateau that extends from the northern border of Chile to the Chañaral province in the Atacama Region. The best access to visit it is from Arica, on the extreme northern coast of Chile. From Santiago, it is approximately a two and a half hour flight to Arica. In this area the Andes mountains form an impressive mass that rises up together with the intermediate depression in the form a a large inclined plane, reaching heights of 5,000 and 6,000 meters observed from the impressive snowcapped peaks of the volcanoes that are found there.

The pampas of the Altiplano are characterized for their sporadic tropical precipitation system, which can be observed between the months of January and February. It brings with it rain and snow, as well as the Camanchaca phenomenon, a dense fog that penetrates from the coast, lending humidity to the existing vegetation. Due to this climatic situation, the only vegetation found are species native to the area, such as the llareta, a light green colored bush that grows in very compact and hard cushions. The temperature ranges from -30 to +30ºC. In this area, we find guanacos and alpacas (camelids), flamencos, and a large number of migratory birds, species that can be observed in the extensive and beautiful national parks, among which is the National Park Lauca, declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

The existing human settlements are inhabited by the indigenous group, the Aymara, descendents of the Bolivian Tiwanaku culture. It is interesting to discover their ancestral ways of life and observe their picturesque mud constructions. These villages are found between the salt flats and the highland wetlands, honoring their ancestral rituals and the forms of survival carried on for generations.

Lauca National Park and Lake Chungara
In this part of the Altiplano it is possible to find a number of migratory birds, among which are the beautiful flamencos that can be observed in all of their splendor on Lake Chungara, the highest lake in the world. In Lauca National Park, recognized as a World Biosphere Reserve, it is also possible to find a great number of llamas and guanacos, camelids that can be found in the wild and also domesticated by the indigenous people who still inhabit the area.

Pukaras de Calacruz and Belén
Having been inhabited for thousands of years, the Chilean Altiplano has influences from different pre-Hispanic cultures. One of these was the Inca, who developed commerce and bartering spaces between the existing settlements of the time period. One remnant of the trading that took place is the archaeological and architectural vestige present in picturesque towns such as Pukaras of Calacruz and Pukaras of Belén.

Indigenous Ayamaran Culture
One of the most relevant characteristics of the Altiplano is the presence of the indigenous group, the Aymara, who have inherited a way of life of thousand of years that has been carried on throughout the generations. It is possible to observe their constant moves through inhospitable landscape in order to pasture their domestic animals, in the majority llamas and alpacas, and from which they obtain meat, wool, and transportation. It is definitely worth visiting their adobe churches and attending their religious festivals.

Ojos del Salado (Salty Eyes) Volcano and Licancabur Volcano
The Chilean Altiplano has the same geomorphologic characteristics that the rest of the great Andean plateau has (the Andes Mountain range), shared by Chile with neighboring countries. The features that stand out the most in this area are the snowcapped peaks of the volcanoes that crown the plateau, such as the Ojos del Salado (6.893 meters) and Licancabur (5,900 meters).

Thermal baths
A characteristic of the Altiplano is its high concentration of the highest volcanoes in Chile. On the plateaus that separate them you can find water sources whose temperatures vary from 17 to 25º C. The presence of geysers and fumaroles, in general, indicate the existence of extremely hot water, possibly exceeding 80º C. In the Altiplano thermal baths are not very developed, but the pools that form are surrounded by gorges or salt flats that offer spectacular views.