However not all is Archeology. Flanking by the Andes and Domeiko mountains, the poor water, the volcano activity and the presences of small and big salt bed, the zone where San Pedro de Atacama is localize offer a lot of attractives to the visitant.

The salt mountain surprised with the Moon Valley, the Tatio Geysers, to 4.300 over the sea. It’s a show that even Puna (high sickness) can stop to admirer; the National Reserve Los Flamencos, shows the rich fauna who lives in those inhospitably places, and the Socaire and Toconao, shows the kind of life of the ancestor towns.

History
Between the 500 B.C and 300 A.D are the beginnings of the culture of San Pedro de Atacama. Several agroalfareras (agro potter) communities were located in the mouth of the river of San Pedro, to give origin to a particular cultural development adapted to the scope puneño (peplo from puna). The initial settlers characterized themselves by the practice of the cranial deformation. By means of mangios of wool, small boards and pads were influenced the form of the bony growth to give a leveling of the forehead. The reasons of this practical one were varied: ethnic or social symbol, of differentiation, beauty sign, leaves from some belief or protection against the violence. The influence of Tihuanaco was most important, brought mainly contributes monk, as much in spiritual form as material. The organization of the atacameños was in charge to the local heads. They populated the Andean depression from Chiu-Chiu to salar (salt bed) of Atacama and towards the Argentine mountain ranges. They arrived at this area 11,000 years ago, like originating archaic hunters of the plateau. Caves and Rocky River eaves, dedicated to the stone carving and the harvesting of fruits of chañar (shrub). They are the foundation, which gave origin to the shining “Atacameña Culture”.

In a process of thousands of years they learned to domesticate animals and to make a regime of trashumancia (migrating) between the grass of the valley and those of puna; later, a regime of selective agricultural harvesting, until initiating a sedentary process, a rudimentary agriculture and the appearance of the first towns for 3000 years. In the atacameña organization several villages had formed farmers organized under local heads. In strategically important points to certain height fortified villages, the Pucará were constructed, where it lived most of the population. Of this form the pucará of Quitor is located in a hill to the north of the valley of San Pedro, where all movement could be controlled that moved of the north. The cause of these constructions sees in a side the presence of wars with diverse ethnic aymaras groups of the plateau who had arrived at the region and on the other hand the existence from conflicts between the own atacameños señoríos (lordship). This culture had a mature cultural development, with handling of techniques in weaves, basketwork, ceramics and irrigated land. Towards the 1450 the Inca’s domination expands, culture of the mountain ranges of the Peru that contributes to new metallurgical technologies and ceramics and the construction of an empire based on the ways and the interchange; it’s administrative center and of government of this zone was in Catarpe, to the north of San Pedro de Atacama. A century later the Spanish conquerors burst with prehistoric atacameña culture finished with the and low deep changes and alterations entered the historical stage. De entered Hispanic history with the passage of Diego de Almagro, in 1536, and Francisco Aguirre, advanced of Pedro de Valdivia, who prepared the arrival of the conqueror to the oasis in 1540, putting under the native ones in pukara of Quitor. First all the Inca Empire was disintegrated, in addition an other people's culture with political, economic and social and religious arrived completely mainly different models. Also another language prevails, the Castilian and in the course of the centuries disappears the Cunza language and with it the knowledge of old beliefs and ways of life. The Great one was baptized Atacama, and soon, it had a dependent parish of the Pool Archbishopric, in the High Peru. Here the dependent colonial administration of Lipes settled (present Bolivia), with the atacameños dominion of Calama and all towns.During XIX century the mining and industrial development in the coast extended the perspective of the oasis: its population oriented itself from 1830 to 1870 towards the commerce, transporting merchandise (with recuas (lines) of llamas (camelid) and mules) between the port of Cobija and Salta, in Argentina. From 1870 his settlers they worked in the mine of Caracoles (Snails) and under the Bolivian administration, the administrative center was transferred from San Pedro de Atacama to Calama. Between 1890 and 1925 the atacameños monopolized the cattle traffic again still on from Argentina to the salt peters. Today the population has diminished and works in chacarería (land work) destined to the market of Calama, and also in the mining Facilities in salt bed. Between the most important beliefs, the atacameña bloomed in San Pedro de Atacama the culture and was passage of the route of the Spanish conquerors. It is for that reason though, the ethnic origin of the community belongs to the atacameños, the influence of the Spaniards was decisive in its customs, intermingling itself in its artisan expressions and folkloric-nuns. The more important religious festive of San Pedro de Atacama is June 29. From the day eve of Santo who gave his name to the town, San Pedro, groups of dances of the near places salute to the apostle, dancing and making religious representations with plenary colorful clothing.

The legend the spirit of Licáncabur (volcano) has life in San Pedro de Atacama. At the time that the Incas had extended their empire by the north and center of Chile, the Spirit of Licáncabur Volcano, now extinguished, let feel his fits of rage to the natives who inhabited their neighborhoods. In order to calm the God, the natives prepared a trimmed stone load and other presents. With her to the back they climbed until the top of 19, 69 feet of the volcano. There they constructed his pircas and they deposited his offerings; after making his orations, they returned light, with his fears already calmed. The descendants of those natives still show their reverence to the Spirit of the gigantic volcano and pircas that they exist in his summit.
The Hallucinogenic Complex is present in San Pedro de Atacama. The inhalation of hallucinogenic substances constituted a common practice between the natives of America. A great number of objects used for this aim, comes from ajuares (trousseau) undertakers in the area of San Pedro de Atacama. The inhalator habits were practiced mainly by shamans or priests, who acted as magician-nuns and curativas (healing) within the society, although also could inhale hallucinogens great part of the population of San Pedro de Atacama, without having, that yes, the meaning that granted shamans to him.

The drug gave to shaman the power to transform into animals or mythological beings, which they supposed possessors of mysterious forces, and that appear, carved and recorded in the tablets and tubes of the hallucinogenic complex. The most common representations constitute the felines, serpents and condors between the animals. Also the “Sacrificing” is frequent, personage widely spread in the Andean culture that imagines with jaguar mask, taking in the hand an axe and other a cut head. Of this personage it is deduced the ceremonies with skulls trophies and isolated heads were frequent around a feline divinity, that has one long tradition in the Andean area.

The classic ajuar (trousseau) of the inhalator complex is made up of inhalators tablets, tubes, spatulas, pylons and hands to grind. The tubes were of bird bone and of wood; this last one is the material most frequent employee in the manufacture of the tablets. With the exception of some units of stones and bone. The typical tablet consists of a rectangular level cavity, although in rare cases it can be round or ovoid, the majority has some type of decoration. In the archaeological museum Father Gustavo le Paige of San Pedro de Atacama, exists approximately 460 tablets coming from 40 archaeological sites and found in funeral context. Their great attractiveness has turned to San Pedro de Atacama an archaeological center and of tourist services, practically saturated during the summer. Account with hotels, residential, camping, pubs, restaurants and great supply of Receptive Tourism. In order to cross San Pedro de Atacama in a visit, it is necessary to know how that the town was drawn up at colonial time; he is small and it has narrow side streets. Its construction is of marinates - the stone quarries are far and huevillo of the river was only used in on foundations of the walls. The quintas (ranch) houses are surrounded by heavy walls of adobón, (mire and strew) with branches nailed in the lintel to avoid the passage of intruders. The design of the termination of the mud walls is very varied and excels the walls of the cemetery and the church.

It is recommended to visit by day the urban attractives of San Pedro de Atacama and the environs to reserve and night and afternoon to cross the Snails street, those that fill of tourists who speak all the languages and completely full up the commerce, restaurants and places of meeting; it is an attractive experience. Soon the square can be visited, with its aged peppers and one old house with arcs, today a hotel.

Next to the square of San Pedro de Atacama it is the Church of San Pedro. Declared National monument, it is located next to the beautiful square paved with stones, surrounded by aged peppers, is greatest and beautiful of the region. It is surrounded by a pretty adobe (mire and strew) wall, reconstructed in 1978, that has three doors crowned by an arc. He was host parochial from before 1641 and the first church was next to the museum. It is of a single ship, with sacristy and lateral chapels. The present walls date from 1744 and were repaired between 1839 and 1843, after a fire. The tower, of 1964, replaced one old one of wood. In the interior, the beams one of sky is of heavy moored beams of carob tree with leather tapes.

On them thin small boards of cactus lean that above go covers of mud and straw, that for of ceiling. By its four windows a smooth light enters that illuminates the surprising altar and altarpiece in carved stone where there are three rows of chrome plated niches. In February of 2001, allying and 5 of their beautiful sacred images were cruelly burned. They distribute masses on Sunday to the 11 hours; the celebration of San Pedro and San Pablo is the 28 and the 29 of June. Contribute with his contribution to the supporting of this church.

In front of the church and next to the municipality it is the Artisan Fair of San Pedro de Atacama, who counts on regional products, weaved with good prices.

To the flank emphasizes Archaeological Museum R.P. Gustavo le Paige S.J. To the entrance is a statue of whole body of the founder, a Belgian Jesuit missionary who became position of the parish in 1955 and continued until his death, in 1980. In that period he made a portentous task of discoveries, excavations and harvesting of indigenous objects and a finished study of Andean archaeology, reunited today in the museum.

Archaeological Museum R.P. Gustavo le Paige S.J is installed in a modern building that has an octagonal central hall and long ships of exhibition. The sample illustrates the evolution of the towns that populated the Atacameño Territory in their eleven thousand years of development. It exhibits objects of great beauty, selected of his collection of more than 380 thousand archaeological pieces.

They excel the ceramics in its different evolutionary stages, the clothes and the domestic objects of ornate and. It is worth an attentive visit. Its schedule is of Monday to Friday, 9 am to 12 pm and 14 to 18 hours. Holidays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 12 pm and of 14 to 18 hours. The entrance is for $2,000, students and children $1,000, for minors of 12 years and atacameños, are free.

The Incaica House is the oldest construction of the town of San Pedro de Atacama. Erroneously people thought that Pedro de Valdivia lodged there. It is put a roof on to two waters, with beams of trunks, branches and straw. In the interior it has a heavy stone wall that divides it and that is crossed by doors of trapezoidal form, very typical of the Inca architecture. It is not possible to visit it, due to badly condition of his ceiling.