North of Chile: The Atacama Desert on Wheels
Table of Contents
Submitted by Joan Pahisa
The Atacama desert, located at the northernmost tip of Chile, is one of the driest places on Earth. Due to that, and to its altitude, it also boasts one of the clearest skies on the planet and it’s home to the ALMA international observatory, an array of more than 50 radio-telescopes that listen to the sky to answer some of the mysteries of the universe. As someone from Europe, that loves astronomy, traveling to one of the best observation spots in the southern hemisphere, where different stars and constellations can be seen had always been on my bucket list. Add to that the otherworldly landscapes in the area and the north of Chile was the place to be.
So far so good, but for two manual wheelchair users traveling to a remote location, even to many cities, it can be challenging, without barely any information to rely on, it is quite the task, one which will surely have quite a few accessibility fails along the way. This is why we’re sharing our experience, so that future travelers may know what to expect.
FLYING WITH LATAM
From the capital Santiago (at the end of the article, we’ve added a section about its accessibility), we flew with LATAM Airlines to Calama. Surprisingly, checking-in with two wheelchairs went quite smoothly. We didn’t need to spend hours giving the same information over and over again. We were just asked their weight, passed security, went to the gate where they tagged our chairs -so that they would be brought back to us rather than go with the rest of the luggage after landing- and up to the airplane’s door without any hiccups. Later, our wheelchairs were indeed brought to us promptly. Assistance staff were also very kind -most of them college students finishing their degrees-, so all in all we were pleasantly surprised by LATAM (and we flew a total of four times with them during our trip).
In Calama, we took a transfer to San Pedro de Atacama, the door to the desert exploration. The van was not wheelchair accessible, but had enough space to store our manual wheelchairs, once disassembled, in the trunk. We can stand up and climb the occasional step with some effort, so we settled for the non-accessible option. Actually, Wheel the World has an accessible van available with one wheelchair spot, but the price went over our budget, as we had already booked a couple of one-day tours with them.
SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA
At 2,500 meters of altitude, San Pedro de Atacama is a town full of charm, unlike any that you may have seen. Its buildings are all one story high, made from adobe with flat thatched or fiber-cement roofs as it barely rains. Its streets are dusty, uneven, and bumpy and are shared by pedestrians, cars, and dogs alike. The good news is, despite sidewalks lacking curb-cuts and being too narrow for wheelchairs, most cars are patient and will give you way when using the road -no other alternative here-.
When in San Pedro, to enter nearly all restaurants and shops, from the road, you will need to go over the sidewalk step and then, sometimes, over a second step to access the building. Usually, there’s enough space between steps for the wheelchair to stay flat again, but, being able to somehow go up and down these steps is kind of a precondition to visit the town -unless you’re able to secure one of the few 100% step-free hotels with restaurant inside and don’t plan to experience the town-. Truth is that everyone in Chile was extremely helpful when it came to going up and down steps and other accessibility issues, so, if you can only go up these kind of steps with help, count on it, as people will come without you having to call them. Obviously, it’s not the best accessibility-wise, but it’s still good to know. People in Chile were a 10 in that regard.
Going back to San Pedro, as streets are difficult to navigate, you should stay near Caracoles street. It’s the heart of town, full of bars, restaurants, small supermarkets, and souvenir shops. Both day and night, even though the eclectic nature of its passersby may make you think otherwise, it’s safe to stroll and, when the sun goes down, it comes alive with live music oozing from most venues. We stayed 50 meters away from Caracoles, at hotel La Cochera, located next to the only paved street in town (which was a blessing!). The hotel had a wheelchair accessible room, although its bathroom -like most accessible restrooms in Chile-, lacked proper grab bars and was a bit tight for a wheelchair to turn around. It did have a shower chair, though, and compared to other “accessible” accommodation options in town, was budget-friendly (breakfast was included -with a 2-inch step to access that they could easily solve with a small ramp-, but for lunch and dinner you had to go out. Again, staff was also very nice, so, all in all, we were happy with our choice.
DOGS & FOOD
Food-wise, a couple of recommendations. If you want to try authentic Chilean food with a modern touch, you should check the Adobe, one of the best restaurants in town. Another must, if you fancy traditional “empanadas” for eating in or takeaway, is Emporio Andino, a budget conscious option with a great selection of coffee and tea. Keep in mind that in Chile food portions are big, US-style. We are not big eaters, so, as our hotel didn’t have a fridge, we either shared one plate or gave our leftovers to the community of stray dogs. Yes, the community. Throughout many cities in Chile, but especially in San Pedro de Atacama, there are many stray dogs, not born and raised in the streets, but abandoned. The good news is that dogs are taken care of by the city. Each one of them has a restaurant of reference that gives them leftover food every day. That, plus what they get from tourists, make them healthy and well fed dogs (moreover, due to the altitude and climate of San Pedro, there aren’t any leeches nor fleas). By the way, all of them were friendly and behaved naturally around our wheelchairs.
ALTIPLANIC LAGOONS & RED ROCKS
After a first night of rest, for our second day, we had a private tour to the Altiplanic Lagoons, a series of colorful lakes at 4,000 meters altitude below the Andes mountain range and near the border between Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. We booked it through Wheel the World and, comparing it to the group activity that we did later on, it’s a much better option for people with reduced mobility. Basically, Wheel the World has an accessible van with a ramp and space for a person to stay on their wheelchair. Also, their guides (Claudia and Juan), besides being great company, are knowledgeable about disability and bring you to the best viewpoints without the need of walking. In our case, unfortunately, as we were two wheelchair users, they came with a SUV-like car instead of the aforementioned van, so getting in and out, despite their help, was a bit of a hassle.
Another good point of the private tour is that we didn’t have to wake up too early, as they came to pick us up at the hotel at 9 am. Our first stop, after a nearly 2-hour ride, was Laguna Miscanti, a fantastic lagoon of deep blue water surrounded by snow-topped volcanoes. Along the way, we left behind beautiful landscapes of desert and volcanic soil, with low yellowy bush flora, as well as wild animals like vicuñas and guanacos (both of them from the same family as llamas, but a bit smaller and less furry). We also learned about the lore of the indigenous people of the region, the Licanantay, and about the mythological origin of the volcanoes, giant gods of rock, the tallest among them the Licancabur, which could be seen from the lagoon. At the viewpoint, there was an “accessible” restroom. As mentioned, accessible toilets in Chile don’t follow any pattern. As long as a wheelchair fits in, it’s considered accessible. Most of them lack proper grab bars -or they are misplaced- and toilet paper, light switches, flush levers, and the likes are usually difficult to reach.
After taking in the breadth and peaceful nature of the landscape, we went on to stop at a series of viewpoints, all of them overlooking lagoons of different hues of blue surrounded by mountains, rocks, soil and salt of several colors: shades of red, brown, grey and white. The ground at the viewpoints was mostly flat terrain of compact dirt or small loose rocks or shallow gravel. Some of them also had a low stone wall that could be used to sit on, low enough so that the view for wheelchair users was unobstructed. At one of them, we ate some refreshments -water, juice, fruits, and nuts- that our guides had brought.
Another aspect to keep in mind is that this specific tour gets you to an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, so some people may suffer from the height, especially people with respiratory problems. In our case, I felt alright, but my companion felt out of breath for a while during our first stop and he had to take things slowly until he felt better.
Our last sightseeing spot of the route, which also had an “accessible” restroom -this one without a flush button, as the toilet was a hole directly connected to a septic tank (be careful not to drop your phone inside!)-, was next to Salar del Carmen. To get close to it, as the terrain was rougher, we had to transfer to a pick-up style truck with huge wheels. They had to lift us to get on it, as the floor was about 80cm high. After a short bumpy ride, we reached the shore of a turquoise shallow lagoon of salty water surrounded by dry broken earth and red rocks. It was interesting because all natural parks in the region are run by the descendants of the Licanantay, who make sure that the ecosystem is well preserved and control that all visitors go with a guide and have a permit to enter to avoid over-tourism. Therefore, all activities need to be booked via a tour operator, which are the ones that connect with the Licanantay park rangers.
Finally, on our way back we visited Toconao’s church and went to have a late lunch at Chaxa I restaurant, also in Toconao, a small town next to San Pedro de Atacama. It was fantastic because since the previous day I was having stomach issues (nothing new even when I’m not traveling) and the food was very mild and non-spicy, but tasty nonetheless. Vegetable soup, roast chicken, and plain rice. Perfect for my upset tummy.
THE MILKY WAY AND MAGELLAN CLOUDS
The following day, it was a rest day for us. In the morning, I tried to swim at our hotel’s pool, but the water was freezing -way below 20ºC- and I only lasted 10 minutes. Actually, we didn’t see anyone else bathing in the pool during our four-day stay. In San Pedro, during summer, while the day is hot and can sometimes reach 25 to 30ºC, nights are cold and temperatures drop below 10ºC.
At night, after dinner, we had booked a group astronomy tour. They knew that we were wheelchair users, so they came to pick us up first with the van. Despite the day of rest, after the wear and tear of the previous day, getting on the non-accessible van took quite the effort. Once on board, the van went to the meeting point where the rest of the passengers, a total of 14, got in. After a 25-minute ride, we arrived at the observation area, a dark patch of land away from all civilization with one of the clearest skies on. Unfortunately, the ground was mostly sand, so moving around throughout the whole activity became quite nightmarish.
Nevertheless, all the pain and hassle was worth it, as we spent about two and a half hours observing the universe. At first, with the naked eye. Our guide pointed with a laser towards the stars, telling us about all the objects in the night sky that we could see, many of them specific to the southern hemisphere. The Magellan Clouds, the closest galaxies to our home that were used as a reference by Magellan and other early sea explorers, which may be mistaken by a small patch of thin clouds; the Southern Cross, which points to the celestial south pole, also used to navigate; several constellations, some of them familiar, like Orion; and a planet alignment of Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars that happened to be in place those days. Above all, though, like a splash of diffused blueish light, the “star” of our night was the Milky Way, the light coming from the center of our galaxy rising from the southern horizon and crossing part of the sky. I couldn’t help but smile the whole time.
The second half of the activity was observing Mars, Jupiter and its moons, the Orion star cluster and the Moon through a telescope. Here things got quite tricky as, besides having to walk 25 meters on sand pushing our wheelchairs, the eye-piece of the telescope was in a different position each time depending on the position of our target in the sky. When it was low, it was feasible to look through it, but when it was high, it was nearly impossible to see anything, even while trying to stand on the wheelchair.
Our last observation was that of the Moon. Once it broke the horizon, its light made the rest of the stars dimmer, marking the end of our night. As a farewell gift, just as we were leaving, Alpha and Beta Centauri, the closest stars to our planet, made its appearance. On our way back -again a trek and climb to the van, when we got to the hotel, I could spot once more the Southern Cross wishing us good night.
The next day, talking with our Wheel the World guides, they also offered an astronomy tour. Their observation area had a paved platform, so, although not as budget-friendly, it would have been much better accessibility-wise.
LAGUNA CHAXA AND VALLEY OF MARS
On our final day, again with Wheel the World, this time a half-day tour to Laguna Chaxa, a clear water lagoon that reflects the sky and a natural reserve of flamingoes. From San Pedro de Atacama it took about an hour to get there by car. Near the parking, there was a rest area with an “accessible” restroom. From there, a compact dirt path with spotty uneven sections led to the lagoon. We wheeled about 300 meters on the path under the sun. The surroundings were that of dry earth mixed with salt forming a field of blades-like arid landscape. Actually, the Salar of Atacama is an extension of more than 100 kilometers of desert rich in salt and other minerals, such as lithium. Nowadays, there is an ongoing conflict between the preservation of the natural reserve and the mining of the mineral resources.
Back on track, we got to the lagoon. Different kinds of flamingoes were going about their eating routine, screening the crystal clear water with their beaks for food. The flamingos are spread throughout hundreds of meters, so a good zoom is a must if you plan on taking good pictures. We stayed there for half an hour, enjoying the reflection of distant mountains, lonely clouds and lanky birds on the mirror-like water.
After the lagoon, we headed to the Valley of Mars. It’s a wide formation of rocks seemingly straight from the Star Wars planet of Tatooine. As in Tatooine, red rocks mix with dunes, but in Chile, instead of Tusken Raiders and Jawas you get sand-boarders that surf down the dunes. We did the whole tour of the valley by car. Apparently, further away there was a viewpoint that overlooked the area, especially beautiful at sunset, we were told, but we didn’t get to it. All in all, we stayed there less than an hour, as we were already tired and had to prepare for an early return trip to Santiago the next day.
All in all, we stayed 4 days in San Pedro de Atacama. There were still a few more excursions that we could have done (everyone recommended the Tatio Geysers, as well as the Rainbow and the Moon valleys; unfortunately, the ALMA observatory is not currently open to the general public), but we preferred to have some time to recover in between activities and, at the end of it, we felt good about our choices.
THE ACCESSIBILITY VERDICT
While the beauty of the landscapes are on another level and definitely made up for all the trouble that we encountered, truth is that the trip is only for travelers on the adventurous side that don’t mind being in pain due to taking their body to the limit to get in and out of inaccessible restaurants and shops, navigating bumpy dirt roads and -if you can’t get the accessible van of Wheel the World- get on and off high floor vans and cars. People with heavier electric wheelchairs would need to spend a lot of money on a high-end accessible hotel (to avoid eating out at local restaurants or maybe bring a portable, foldable ramp to bridge one or two steps at a time) and on expensive airport transfers with an accessible van to make it possible.
Nevertheless, it’s a once in a lifetime experience and with planning, quite a bit of help and, for sure, money (even without the high-end hotel and the airport transfers, the trip is expensive) it may be done. Also, compared to the Patagonia region in the south of Chile (read my article on tabifolk), activities are a bit more accessible.
SANTIAGO DE CHILE
In the middle of the country, more or less at the same latitude as other major South American capitals like Buenos Aires and Montevideo, you can find Santiago de Chile with a population of about 6 million people. In summer, the weather is hot and dry, easily reaching temperatures of 30ºC during the day.
The best and safest areas to stay in the city are either Providencia or Las Condes. Both of them have plenty of restaurants, shopping malls, and other services, so, besides being safe, they are a good option overall. In these areas, as opposed to other parts of Chile, finding accessible accommodation is not an issue, as there are plenty of international hotel chains with accessible rooms.
Regarding transportation, most of the subway system is wheelchair accessible, with modern elevators as of January 2025. Either the beginning or the end of the platform has step-free access to board the metro. From Providencia, you can get to Santiago’s downtown via Los Leones or Tobalaba station, both accessible, and go down at Universidad de Chile to visit La Moneda, Plaza de Armas, and some museums or at Universidad Católica, if you plan on strolling around Lastarria neighborhood. You should watch your belongings and not stay after sunset at downtown, Lastarria and other areas in the city, besides Providencia and Las Condes.
In-city buses are also wheelchair accessible by means of ramps, but we never got to try them as we only used the subway. As in the rest of Chile, there are no accessible taxis either. As for streets in Santiago, at relevant areas for tourists they are mostly flat, except for Cerro San Cristóbal area. Most sidewalks have curb-cuts, but maintenance is not the best, so even if a sidewalk looks good, you should keep an eye on the ground as missing tiles and holes are common. Also, many curb-cuts are not at 0-level, so be careful when crossing.
Regarding restaurants and shops, many of them have either step-free entrances or ramps to access (I would say that about half of them). However, many of the ramps are a bit steep and may be dangerous for some wheelchair users. As for accessible restrooms, they are common in museums and shopping malls.
In terms of sightseeing, the city doesn’t have much to offer in comparison to other capitals, but, as it will most probably be your landing spot, it may be worth going to La Moneda Palace for its history (and the surrounding area towards Plaza de Armas) and exploring the Pre-Columbine Art Museum to learn more about the region’s native culture. Both places are wheelchair accessible, although information signs at the Pre-Columbine Art Museum are a bit high, have small lettering and are dimly lit, so reading them is complicated. Another popular spot is Lastarria’s neighborhood. Many streets there are paved with uneven cobblestone, so the stroll is not as pleasant as it looks.
Finally, if you want to have good views of the city, you may go up South America’s tallest skyscraper named Sky Costanera, located at Providencia, or go up the cable car to Cerro San Cristóbal. Sky Costanera is completely wheelchair accessible. Apparently, the cable car is also, but we didn’t get to try it.
Huge thanks to Joan Pahisa for submitting this exceptional piece. Please consider following Joan on Instagram at: @Joan_Pahisa.