Archaeological Experience in Atacama Tulor and Quitor





Description
Through our archaeological tour we will take you to visit not only impressive landscapes of the highlands but also places of historical importance, while we visit the most important archaeological sites in the sector to learn about the origin of the Atacameña culture.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We will start our tour experience from your hotel in the morning to get to know the richness of the valuable Atacama culture, visiting places of great archaeological importance and learning about the customs and traditions of the different peoples that inhabited the area.
We will visit the most important sites such as the Tulor Village, the oldest inhabited vestige in the Atacama basin, located only 8 kms from San Pedro de Atacama. The remains indicate a labyrinth of semicircular dwellings that were built of adobe (mud and coiron straw) and communicated through interior patios. The first remains were found by the Jesuit priest Gustave Le Paige in 1956.
Later we will go to the Pukará de Quitor, a 12th century building that has witnessed important historical events that are part of the local culture and was the place of entry to the oasis sector of San Pedro de Atacama, which had a great cultural exchange with other ethnic groups in the area such as the Chinchorro, Coyas, Aymara and Tiwanakus. Clay, wood, bones and textiles indicate that this culture had its heyday between 300 BC and 500 AD. Today, there are still more than 20,000 Atacameños living in small villages around San Pedro de Atacama. Finally we will visit the church of San Pedro in the historic centre of the town.
Then we will visit "la comunidad de Coyo", a house where we will see how an Atacameño family mixes ancient traditions in local agriculture and tourism to offer a small tasting to the visitors. After this experience we will return to the hotel.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
The pick up transfer is only from selected centrally located hotels. If your hotel is outside the geographic area, we will confirm you the closest meeting point. Indicate the name and address of your hotel. Drop Off will be in downtown municipal parking.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Wear comfortable clothes, sunscreen and mineral water
- Due to the height, only people between 8 and 75 years of age in good health can join us
Reviews(2)
The tour has 3 parts: the Tulor village, the Pukara (fortress) de Quitor, and the Museo. All parts are great, the guide was very knowledgleable and nice. Unfortunately it seems not many people search for cultural and archeological tours in San Pedro de Atacama, which is a pity because there is a lot of history there about the pre-colombian history. Be aware that the Pukara de Quitor part includes a really long climb to the highest observation site of the fortress. Combined with the altitude it's a great challenge but the guides will cheer you up during the climb, and you can chose to stop at any point.



