Code:
Level: Easy
Levels Explained
Departures
Private departures
Price (2005-06):
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Accommodations:
9 nights hotels or hosterias

- Books & Links for flowers in Chile

SUGGESTED EXTENSIONS
We suggest the following itineraries as pre or post extensions to this trip:

- SUR-021 Pucon nature
Visit the Lake District and enjoy 4 days with different activities while being in Pucon.

- PAT-027 Torres del Paine Wildlife Tour
Don't miss the opportunity to discover Patagonia! This 5 day Wildlife tour is the perfect complement for your trip in Chile.

- IPC-009 Easter Island Nature Tour
Discover in 6 days the misterious Easter Island!

Wildflowers of the Chilean Desert

The Atacama Desert occupies the largest amount of the Chilean territory situated north of the29thparallel. The area located on the coast between Arica and Antofagasta appears in the Guinness Book of World Records as the driest place in the world. Nevertheless,to the south of the Tropic of Capricorn, the desert becomes kinder towards living beings. The coastal mists, "camanchacas", are more abundant south of Antofagasta and bring the humidity necessary for the maintenance of the coastal scenic vegetation.
Many plants survive mainly because of the "camanchaca", and the harsh savings of water, in normal dry years, that causes them to delay important functions such as growth, to favor survival and reproduction.

ITINERARY
Day 1, Santiago - Bahia Inglesa. We will meet you at Copiapo's airport. From here, we drive to Bahia Inglesa and have our welcome and get together lunch at a local restaurant. 2, Pan de Azucar National Park. We will find several species of cactaceas and coastal desert flora. 3/4, Bahia Salada. This is one of the most remarkable areas with enormous diversity of flora and landscapes, dominated by the copiapoa cactus. This coast is the only place where the beautiful "lion's claw" (Leonthochir ovallei) lives .5, Bahia Salada - Vallenar. We drive to the city of Vallenar. 6, Vallenar - Tongoy. We continue south to te resort of Tongoy. 7, Tongoy. This is officially the lay over day. 8, Tongoy - Fray Jorge National Park. This National Park has a remanent forest of the quaternaries. 9, Fray Jorge National Park - Los Molles - Pichidangui. We drive to Los Molles. You can observe large fields of indigo and blue huille at the side of the road. 10, Pichidangui - Santiago. Drive back to Santiago.