San Pedro de Atacama

San Pedro itself is a pretty town of narrow streets and adobe houses with an attractive main square.

It has become a centre for tourism, with people coming to visit the beautiful desert are, and there are many restaurants and bars. The main square is the focal point of the town, with a large Andean church from the 18th century. The main attraction in the town itself is the Archaeological Museum Le Paige, named after the Belgian Jesuit priest who explored the area in the mid 20th century. The museum contains an interesting collection of artifacts from the Atacama culture, which, due to the dryness of the climate, have been incredibly well preserved. These include mummies with skin and hair still preserved.

Click here to read Tsehai's blog about exploring Chile's Atacama Desert.