Chile - 5 - El Tatio Geothermal Field & More

Sunday, 14 December 2025

We left in the wee hours of the morning and drove through the cold dark from San Pedro de Atacama to see the El Tatio geothermal features at their most impressive - when the sun's light first peeks over the Andes to illuminate the steam. The 50 mile drive is over a very rough road and takes about 1 1/2 hours. The 14,100 ft elevation made it particularly cold (not to mention literally "breathtaking") - the temperature when we arrived was -9°C (16°F), but quickly warmed to above freezing with the morning sunshine.

Most of the El Tatio geysers are only about 1 m (3 ft) high, and easily obscured by steam.

Steam vents & fumaroles against the Atacama desert background.

A steaming hot spring.

Hot spring run-off.

We made several stops on the way back from El Tatio: a breakfast stop, two viewpoints with interesting lagoons, salt mines, and wildlife, and the village of Machuca for a rest stop (with "facilities").

Andean Gull at our breakfast site along a wetland near El Tatio.

Overlook near the Rio Putana.

The "Five Fumaroles" volcano - never did get the name.

"Flamingo Lagoon" near Machuca.

Vicuñas at the Flamingo Lagoon.

Same vicuñas as above - it's unusual for me to get wildlife facing me, instead of facing away. Some day I'll make a calendar "Great Wildlife Butts of the World".