Chile Atacama Cycling Desert

Overview

Cycling the Atacama is riding across a planet with the atmosphere turned off: zero cloud, ferocious UV, and silence so complete you hear your own tyres on the salt crust. Base at San Pedro de Atacama (2,400 m) and ride out in loops — the Valle de la Luna's salt ridges at sunset, Laguna Chaxa's flamingos out on the Salar de Atacama, the mineral-striped Valle del Arcoíris, and the big one: the pre-dawn climb to El Tatio at 4,320 m, where a hundred geysers steam hardest in the freezing first hour of light. Altitude plus aridity is the combination that catches people. Acclimatise in San Pedro for two days before anything high, carry five litres minimum on remote roads, and respect the swing — 30°C afternoons fall below freezing by night. A support vehicle for the Tatio day is money well spent. March-May and September-November dodge both the January altiplano storms and the coldest mid-winter nights. Around £900 for a week with bike hire, a guesthouse base and one supported high-altitude day.

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Prefilled for 1 November 2026 — the next best-season window. Search on partner sites — opens in a new tab.