This may not come as a surprise, but I am not a fan of camping. I think I’ve only camped once in my adult life, and it was not my idea. However, I do try to keep an open mind and I love experiencing new things. I also appreciate that my boyfriend, Reuben, has a different travel style than I do, and we both enjoy learning from and influencing each other. As he put it so eloquently during our Atacama trip, he grunges me down, while I posh him up.

So, when Reuben agreed to spend four nights at the luxe Tierra Atacama in early January 2022, I felt I could suck it up and spend a couple nights in a camper van. Oh, and did I mention those two nights would be New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day? I was more than a bit nervous going into the experience, but determined to keep a positive attitude and make the most of the adventure. One thing we were on the same page about: we had to start with the camper before upgrading to the upscale hotel. Grunge before posh was becoming our new travel mantra.

Booking a Wicked Camper

I graciously let Reuben be in charge of researching and booking the camper van. Wicked South America rents campers and 4x4s from five different locations in Chile, providing travelers with access from north to south in the long, thin country, as well as options to cross into Argentina. We would just be focusing on Atacama, renting a van out of Wicked’s San Pedro de Atacama location.

Reuben had his heart set on a truck with a rooftop tent, but Wicked had limited availability and told him the rooftop tent option came with a seven day minimum (um, no freaking way). Instead we ended up with the 2 Seater Deluxe. Unfortunately for Reuben, it seemed like Wicked was the only option in the area, so he had to compromise. Fortunately for both of us, we later realized that setting up a tent on top of a truck (and sleeping in it) would have been quite treacherous due to the strong desert winds during our stay. While the winds gradually died down later in the evening, sleeping in the sheltered van felt much safer and comfortable.

Another thing I should mention: wild camping is permitted in the Atacama Desert, along with many other areas of Chile. This meant that we didn’t have to sleep in campsites; instead, we were free to pull over in any place we deemed worthy to spend our nights. One one hand, this made planning a bit more challenging, but the prospect of sleeping literally in the middle of nowhere in the great wide open desert was more than a little compelling.

Pre-Van Prep

While I deferred to Reuben on all the initial research and booking I decided to start asking questions when he forwarded me an email with the reservation details. Within the text it very clearly stated the inclusions (a “comfy bed,” “big storage area,” ice box, gas cooker, pots & pans, cutlery, and camp stools & table). Not included? Blankets, sheets, pillows, sleeping bags. We weren’t backpacking through Chile so we definitely wouldn’t have sleeping bags with us, or any other bedding for that matter.

I asked Reuben what he thought we should do for bedding. “I think it’s provided,” he responded. Okay, it was officially time for me to get involved.

After some discussion we decided to stock up on most of our van needs (bedding, food, booze) while still in Santiago. From there, we would fly two hours north to Calama, then drive 90+ minutes to San Pedro de Atacama, the town where we’d pick up the van. San Pedro itself was tiny, with a handful of mini-marts, a liquor store and a gas station. In Santiago we were able to hit up Jumbo, an aptly named mega store that served as a one stop shop (avocado and bread for breakfast; Takis, cheese and olives for snacks; pasta, sauce and peppers for dinner; plus assorted essentials such as hot sauce, dark chocolate, Nescafe, gin, tonic, sparkling wine for NYE, and the all important blanket).

We had to pay an extra $30 to check a bag to Calama with all of our supplies (I brought a packable carry-on expressly for this purpose), but it was well worth it for the peace of mind. Plus, once we finally made it to San Pedro and got our van, we were eager to hit the road. The only things we still needed to pick up upon arrival were water and ice.

Getting to San Pedro de Atacama and Getting the Van

San Pedro is the town that virtually all travelers use as their base for exploring the Atacama Desert. It’s a small, rural settlement that mostly revolves around tourism, although mining (copper and more recently lithium) is also a big industry in the region. The closest airport is in Calama, approximately a 90 minute drive away.

We booked a morning flight on LATAM from Santiago to Calama (approximately two hours). The Calama airport was tiny and easy to navigate; our checked luggage with our Jumbo bounty arrived at baggage claim immediately.

If we had been going straight to Tierra, our airport transfer would have been included. I wistfully looked at a Tierra employee holding up a sign welcoming other guests who arrived on our flight. Unsurprisingly Wicked expected us to fend for ourselves.

There was a line of a few private taxis waiting outside the airport entrance, but we saw a Transvip transfer counter and determined that it would cost ~$15 each for a shared transfer (total seven passengers in a minibus). We had to wait about ten minutes before departing but otherwise it was a clean, efficient and pleasant ride.

Finally we arrived at the address that Reuben had been given for Wicked. It looked more like a small house than a camper van rental business, although it did have a few vans and trucks parked out front. We knocked on the door looking for Francisco, who was supposed to set us up with the van.

Well, Francisco was nice enough but he also seemed to have an untreated case of ADHD as he frenetically explained a litany of details: why the van wasn’t ready, the paperwork we’d need to sign off on before leaving, the places we should camp, other things we should see, the sites that were closed, where to get ice and water, where the gas station was, the best place for lunch nearby–oh, and would we like a beer?

Meanwhile people kept drifting in and out of the house, smiling at us widely and sometimes trying to make small talk in Spanish. We later confirmed that Francisco rented the house for himself but also ran a hostel business out of it, hence the constant stream of people. I found it intriguing, but I was also hot (we were in the desert after all) and eager to just get on the road already. Plus, the place had the ambiance of a frat house–Playboy posters, rock music and all (although I actually enjoyed the music). Francisco left us for a while to print out the paperwork at a friend’s home, so we decided to hit up the local restaurant that he recommended (extremely limited veg options and big language barrier, but definitely authentic).

Finally, after almost two hours, we were ready to go. The paperwork was signed, the van was clean, and Francisco had given us a basic tutorial on how everything worked. We still had to stop for gas at Copec, the only gas station in town, and then pick up ice at a mini mart up the street. But then we’d be free! Except Francisco pulled up to us at the gas pump because he had forgotten one last piece of paperwork.

And We’re Finally Off! First Evening: Valle de la Luna New Year’s Eve

One thing Francisco hadn’t mentioned, and that Reuben hadn’t noticed in the list of van inclusions/exclusions: Furgo Machine didn’t have air conditioning. Given that afternoon temps peaked at around 90 degrees in the desert we were in for a scorching couple of days. Oh well, nothing we could do about it now.

Our original plan for the first night was to check out Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley) and some of the main sites there. We had found a number of blogs with tips on Atacama camper van life and created what we thought was a solid itinerary based on our research. Except all the blogs were from pre-pandemic times and it turned out that many of the sites on our list were closed.

Over the next few days we learned a bit more. Apparently, some of the most popular tourist sites in the area were managed by the local communities rather than the government. There was a lot of speculation amongst the people that we met during our trip. Were these communities afraid of outsiders bringing in the virus and reluctant to re-open? Or were they accepting money from enterprising lithium mining companies who wanted to keep tourists out? It was a fascinating time to be in the region, but also frustrating to realize that so many places we wanted to see were closed.

Anyway, as much as I was giving Francisco a hard time earlier, he genuinely meant well, and he did provide some good advice. He informed us that the main entrance to the Valle de la Luna was closed, as well as Kari (Coyote Rock), a popular viewpoint nearby. Instead, he recommended that we drive past the Valle de la Luna entrance and follow the road toward Baltinache, then make another left turn to see the valley from the back.

Once we got out of San Pedro we didn’t have cell service anymore and we had no idea where we were going when we got off the main road, so we stopped as soon as we saw a cluster of cars parked at a site. There we made friends with a local tour guide, Juan, who invited us to follow his tour to a few different sites in the area. So much for our impromptu, self-guided, choose-your-own-adventure experience.

I should also note how windy it was all afternoon. Due to Furgo Machine’s aforementioned lack of air conditioning we had to keep the windows rolled down, which meant that the van turned into a wind tunnel in the middle of the dry, sandy desert. Everything in the van was quickly covered in a thick layer of dust, ourselves included. It was only 36 hours until my next shower, not that I was counting.

Reuben’s initial dream sunset spot was atop a hill, overlooking a valley, which sounded quite scenic and romantic. However, reality immediately came crashing down when we realized how windy it was even at the base of the valley. There was no way we’d comfortably be able to set up “camp” on a hill and enjoy sunset drinks and snacks before attempting to cook dinner on our little propane stove. I suggested that we ratchet the dream down a few notches, finding a spot behind a hill that was more or less sheltered from the wind. Fine, we wouldn’t be able to watch the sunset, but the alternative was sitting in the van, so I easily won, and Reuben quickly admitted that my practical idea made sense.

Once we got settled with a couple G&Ts in our camping spot we both started to relax. We had a beautiful, comfortable place where we could enjoy New Year’s Eve away from any crowds, and with everything we needed for a fun night together. Van life had its perks.

Except then the back door wouldn’t open after Reuben closed it the first time. This was a bit of a problem because our “kitchen” (propane stove, sink, pots and pans) were all in the back compartment of the van. We had resigned ourselves to an evening of Takis, chocolate and G&Ts for NYE dinner when Reuben managed to un-jam the door. Hallelujah, we’d get to eat our pasta after all.

Another thing that took some getting used to with the van: no bathroom. I completely gave up on any notions of modesty when we both woke up in the middle of the night and had to pee. It was dark enough in the middle of the desert that climbing out of the van and walking six feet away from Reuben felt like plenty of privacy for a squat and pee. Any awkwardness I may have felt was forgotten when I glanced up at the stars before heading back into the comfort of the van and our Jumbo blanket. Mesmerizing. Atacama has some of the best stargazing in the world and I was duly impressed on night one.

Day Two Morning: El Tatio Geysers

We managed to sleep in until 8am on New Year’s Day, which surprised us both. The sun was gradually starting to warm the valley and the wind was still calm, so the morning was quite pleasant. We gradually motivated to get out of Furgo Machine, wash up as best as possible, and start making breakfast: coffee (Nescafe) and avocado toast.

Our plan for the day was to drive back toward San Pedro, then north to the El Tatio Geysers. Quick background on El Tatio: it is the third-largest geyser field in the world and the largest in the southern hemisphere, so it seemed worth a visit while we were in the neighborhood. Plus, a bunch of blogs we had read said it was a must-see. I also couldn’t help but stifle a giggle every time Reuben innocently called them “geezers,” which is apparently the correct pronunciation in some cultures, but just made me think he was making a rude comment about old men. At least we had a new inside joke to keep us entertained.

Most tours visit the geysers at sunrise, since the geothermal activity is apparently the greatest early in the day (something to do with the temperature of the air and ground). However, one of the coherent recommendations that we got from Francisco was that it wasn’t necessary to go at the break of dawn. The geysers would still be interesting to see later in the morning, and we wouldn’t have to deal with crowds of tourists. I for one was thrilled that we didn’t have to wake up at 4:30am.

The drive up to El Tatio was long (almost two hours from our campsite), but it was stunningly beautiful. The road had very little traffic and we were amazed at how the scenery changed as the elevation gradually increased.

We eventually made it to El Tatio where we had to pay an entrance fee before entering the official site. At least the place was still open. And we had it all to ourselves. We slowly walked all around the geysers and geothermal pools, which were gorgeous and impressive even if it wasn’t peak activity time. I’m sure we would have learned a bit more about the area with a guide, but oh well. We spent less than an hour at the actual geysers, but still agreed that they were worth the trip, particularly for the scenic drive.

We had read that there was also a warm geothermal pool that visitors could swim in after seeing the geysers, and we were looking forward to any kind of bath we could get. Alas, the pool was inexplicably closed, so no hippie bath for us. We later heard that the pool had been closed due to the pandemic, but that trace amounts of arsenic had also been found in the water, so perhaps it was for the best?

The drive back to San Pedro was just as incredible as the drive up to El Tatio–maybe even more so. The views of the Andes were particularly mind-blowing and we had to stop more than once to take pictures of the scenery. I also hadn’t realized just how much we had gained in elevation since the ascent felt quite gradual. Later I learned that El Tatio was located at 14,000 feet, while San Pedro sits at 7,900 feet. Quite a difference.

Neither Reuben nor I ever felt any effects from the altitude in San Pedro, but I did feel a bit of fatigue after walking around El Tatio. I kept drinking water and later snacked on a protein bar, feeling much more normal as soon as we got in the van and started driving downhill again. All in all, it was good preparation acclimating to the elevation as we hoped to hike up to the summit of Cerro Toco (over 18k feet) in a few days.

We eventually got back to San Pedro around lunchtime and decided it was a good time to stop for a meal and a break from driving before determining our next stop (while taking advantage of cell service, of course).

Day Two Afternoon/Evening: Laguna Chaxa

After lunch at a casual pizza restaurant in town we landed on our next destination: Laguna Chaxa, another 90 minutes south of San Pedro. Reuben wasn’t too keen on driving a lot more that day, but we couldn’t find any better, closer options recommended for sunset and camping. Laguna Chaxa was supposed to offer an incredibly unique view of the flamingos at sunset, so we decided to go for it.

First challenge: restocking ice. Because it was New Year’s Day, some of the mini marts were closed. And we quickly learned that the open ones were out of ice because people had stocked up for their holiday parties. After being turned down at three different shops (some of which also couldn’t help but make fun of my gringo pronunciation of “hielo”), we decided to suck it up and deal with not-quite-chilled G&Ts ( a big sacrifice for Reuben).

Then we continued down the hot, windy and dusty road toward the small town of Toconao. We had yet to drive south from San Pedro, so it was interesting to see some new scenery. We also drove past the entrance to ALMA, which is essentially a very important, high-tech set of radio telescopes that Atacama is uniquely positioned to house due its high elevation and low humidity. Unfortunately we couldn’t see the telescopes themselves, but the security building and the road leading way up the mountain still impressed us.

We also passed by the Tropic of Capricorn. We were officially out of the tropics.

Then it came time for our second challenge: Google Maps vs. Maps.me. Each app was reporting a different route to the entrance of Laguna Chaxa. Google Maps seemed to be sending us to the back of the lagoon (much farther), while Maps.me was sending us to the closer section. Oddly, both sources provided the same ETA, likely due to the difference in road quality. At this point we were far from San Pedro and had no cell service, so we had to make a decision based on very limited information. Oops. We probably should have asked someone while we were still in town.

Reuben decided to go with Google Maps, which was not the right choice (I’m complicit as I didn’t argue with his logic–we were much more familiar with Google Maps than Maps.me). After nearly 90 minutes of driving I realized that we had passed the road we were supposed to turn right on. So we turned around and closely looked for the turnoff–but it simply didn’t exist. We couldn’t even off-road it as the road was lined on either side with large tubes that were clearly built to transport some kind of material from the mines.

Okay, back to Maps.me. At this point we were starting to get a little worried about gas, but at least the Maps.me route was taking us back toward San Pedro, where the only gas pump in the region was located. It turned out that Maps.me offered more accurate directions than Google, but that still didn’t help us.

Defeated and exhausted, we contemplated our options. We decided to try to find a place to settle down and camp on the way back to San Pedro, as we wanted to minimize the driving we’d be doing the rest of the day.

First we pulled over on the salt flats by Laguna Chaxa. From here we’d have a great view of the sunset to the west as well as the Andes to the east. Except, as soon as we attempted to get out of the van, we realized that the intense wind was making the location essentially uninhabitable for our needs. We could sit inside and hope that the wind would eventually die down, but neither of us felt like hanging out in Furgo Machine for 2-3 more hours at least.

Next we stopped at a shady section of shrubby desert trees close to San Pedro. We wouldn’t be able to see the sunset or the Andes from this location, but at least the trees provided some shelter from the wind. Then Reuben got out to pee and realized that the shrubby trees were shedding some very spiky pieces. After extracting a few needles that had poked through his rubber flip flops and into his foot, he deemed this location uninhabitable for our needs as well.

At this point Reuben was about to give up. He threw out options such as getting dinner in town and sleeping nearby, or even getting a cheap hotel for the night. Wait, what?! I was determined to see this van life experiment to its bitter end. And honestly, I had been looking forward to a night of not-quite-chilled G&Ts overlooking reverse sunset views followed by overcooked pasta paired with our Viña Vik wine. Oh, and being all by ourselves in the middle of the desert with the cozy blanket we had worked so hard to acquire at Jumbo in Santiago. We were doing this. We were not leaving Furgo Machine for some cheap hotel.

I suggested that we drive back to town and then head north, back on the beautiful road we had taken to El Tatio earlier in the day. We didn’t need to drive far, but just get out of San Pedro and find a somewhat sheltered place where we could pull off the road and hopefully enjoy some views. Oh, and while we were driving through town, we may as well try to find ice one more time, right?

SCORE! Of all places, the local liquor store still had ice. I walked in by myself to inquire about hielo and they said, yes, they had some but would only sell me one bag. Okay, better than nothing. Next I sent Reuben in to get another bag and he came back with three. Wtf. Whatever, at least our G&Ts would be nice and chilled.

We didn’t end up needing to drive far at all to find a place that we deemed acceptable for sunset and camping. It was still close enough to town that our Andes view was somewhat marred by heaps of trash, but it certainly could have been worse.

Final Morning and Returning the Van

We slept in even later (9am!) the next morning than we had our first van life morning. This was particularly shocking since a) we hadn’t stayed up late at all, and b) we were parked relatively close to the main road to El Tatio, which all the tours drove through in the early morning. Well, I guess we were tired. And Furgo Machine was obviously comfortable enough–at least at night.

Our last morning consisted of another attempt to wash up (half-hearted this time knowing that we’d have a proper shower soon enough). This was followed by more Nescafe and avocado toast, although the bread was starting to get stale at this point. Then we packed everything up and headed back to Francisco’s to return Furgo Machine.

The hand-off wasn’t quite as chaotic as the pick-up, but we still had to wait at Francisco’s for longer than I would’ve liked. We arrived early because we were bored, and then Tierra arrived late because I had given them the wrong address (that Reuben had provided to me, for the record).

It all ended well–we had an incredibly unique and memorable New Year’s Eve, and I particularly loved our drive to to El Tatio and back. But I looked forward to having the Tierra guides, well, guide us. And I couldn’t wait for a shower.