“Wherever the crowd goes, run in the other direction. They’re always wrong.” – Charles Bukowski

You may have heard of the benefits of travelling outside the high season in terms of avoiding the crowds, but when it comes to travel to Chile’s Atacama Desert between May and October, there’s plenty of carrot not just stick.

The climate

First of all, the climate in Northern Chile is agreeable year round. This can be especially important for those travelling from the Northern Hemisphere who seek sunshine after the long months of winter. 

The climate in San Pedro de Atacama stays warm during all the seasons with daytime temperatures of up to 20-25 °C (68-77 °F) during these months. A clear sign of the agreeable climate is that the communal areas at our lodge have nothing but the starry sky overhead. The temperatures at this time of the year are ideal for enjoying Awasi Atacamas’s private excursions that combine the best of Atacama’s nature and culture.

Optimal Stargazing conditions

Chances of rainfall in the Atacama Desert are minimal, after all, it is one of the driest places on earth. The low levels of humidity combined with the high altitude (2500 metres or 8200 feet above sea level) create ideal conditions for star gazing year round. However, the months between April and November have especially low precipitation levels, which makes the conditions even better. Coincidentally, the days are slightly shorter, so one can apprecitate the pristine dark skies right after dinner.

Stars above the Atacama Desert, Chile

Snow-capped volcanoes

A landscape often called otherworldly, there is something even more incredible about seeing the desert under a coat of snow. As well as seeing snow-covered Andean peaks, if you’re lucky, you may also see snowfall on the high plateau. Snow in the desert is an incredible sight.

With Awasi’s private excursions you willhave one private guide and a 4WD to explore both the highlights and the hidden gems of the Atacama Desert.

El Tatio Geysers

The contrast in temperatures that take place between night and daytime during these months also creates the best conditions for seeing the Tatio Geysers. For this very reason, during the high season many tours to Tatio leave at 5am: geysers can be seen in their best in the first lights of the day before the temperature rises too much. Between May and October the sun rises later and the temperatures stay cooler, so there is no reason to set your alarm so early!

El Tatio is a geothermal field with many geysers located in the Andes Mountains of northern Chile at 4,320 metres (14,170 ft) above mean sea level. It is the third-largest geyser field in the world.

Festivals and Events 

There are several important dates in the Atacama Calendar during the months between May and October (we specify these dates because the traditional high season runs between November and April).

On the 1st August the local people have a Pachamama Ceremony during which they make payments to the earth to ask for good crops the following year.

At Awasi, we have an annual ceremony for our staff with a shaman, this is something for the team primarily but guests enjoy it very much (it’s authentic rather than a staged ceremony).

One of Awasi Atacamas 12 adobe Suites