Is San Pedro de Atacama safe? What to know before the valley

Is San Pedro de Atacama safe? Britain's Foreign Office does not single the town out in its Chile advice, but it does warn that pickpocketing, mugging and theft from vehicles are very common throughout the country, including at airports, bus stations, viewpoints and petrol stations.¹ In a small town full of visitors that means ordinary care: bags zipped, phones out of back pockets, and valuables left in the hotel safe.

Cars are a particular target. The same advice says hire cars are broken into while parked at viewpoints and petrol stations,⁷ which matters if you drive to the valley or the lagoons yourself. Leave nothing visible inside, lock up at every stop, and keep passports and cards on you. On buses, keep valuables with you rather than in the luggage hold, especially on long trips between regions.⁸

Help is close if you need it. CONAF notes that San Pedro de Atacama has a health post, firefighters and the Carabineros police, plus currency exchange, car rental and hotels.⁹ The town's tourism office of Sernatur faces the main square, and Sernatur keeps a register of tourism services,¹⁰ so you can check that an agency is registered before you hand over money.

Expect both ends of the thermometer on the same day. Chile Travel describes San Pedro's climate as a high desert with scarce rain and abrupt swings, from 27 degrees by day to 1 or less at night.⁴ Its itinerary pages speak of hot days of 25°C-30°C and freezing nights below 0°C, especially at altitude.¹³ A sunset tour spans both: warm walks in the afternoon, a cold wait for the last light.

The seasons shift the scale rather than the pattern. In autumn, which Chile Travel names as the best time to travel, days run between 20°C and 26°C with nights around 5°C.^17,19 From December to March the altiplanic winter brings rain and storms to the high country and can close routes to the main attractions.²⁰

Weather also closes the valley now and then. CONAF shuts its trails at times for sandstorms in winter or rain in summer,²¹ and the official ticket page lets you use your ticket another day or ask for a refund if bad weather in the valley stops your visit.²² Keep a spare afternoon in your plan so a closure costs you nothing.

Chile Travel's own packing list for the valley tour is a good start: comfortable clothes, suitable shoes, water and protection from the sun, meaning a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.²³ For the desert in general it recommends dressing in layers, trekking shoes, a hat and high-factor sunscreen.¹³ Add a warm jacket for the evening, even in summer.

Footwear matters more than it seems. The tour sold on this site includes a hike of 40 minutes, and the ridges are sandy and loose in places, so closed shoes with grip beat sandals. Bring a small backpack that leaves your hands free on the steeper sections, and a headlamp if you plan to stay out after sunset.

Practical Valle de la Luna information for the day also covers money and phones. Carry cash in Chilean pesos, because card signals can be unreliable in the region,¹¹ and expect little electricity and limited Wi-Fi in town.³² Download your valley ticket and maps before you leave the hotel, and charge your phone the night before.