Coastal Atacama Desert

We have the whole day to explore the interesting surroundings of the fog oasis of Paposo, located just 30 miles north of Taltal. Along the coast we will be impressed by the rugged cliffs and the pretty obvious effect of the coastal mist on this seemingly barren landscape. Several Copiapoa species and varieties are found along the narrow coastal plain. We will climb by the main road in order to visit the Paposo Nature Reserve. This is a very interesting habitat which is constantly covered by the fog; the mist provides the vital moisture which sustains a large array of plants, all belonging to the  ‘lomas’ vegetation, a plant community only found along the coastal desert of Peru and northern Chile. Large stands of the columnar cacti Eulychnia iquiquensis, plus the bromeliad Deuterocohnia chrysantha and a few species of the cactus Eriosyce provide ample opportunities for the plant enthusiast; we hope to find Alstroemeria violacea, Palaua concinna, Schizanthus laetus, Cleome chilensis among many more species, all very restricted to this fog oasis. The birding is also quite good here and we hope to see White-throated Tapaculo, Rufous-banded Miner, Gray-hooded Sierra Finch and Common Diuca-Finch.

Overnight at Cabañas Caleta Hueso, Taltal (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)(Guide)

We will leave Taltal quite early in order to arrive at a good time to another interesting fog oasis, the Pan de Azucar National Park. The setting of this reserve is just superb as is located immediately besides the deep blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. This protected area hold more than 200 flowering plants including a large number of unique cactus species such as Copiapoa cinerea and the striking Copiapoa columna-alba. We will make an interesting hike to the Mirador (viewpoint) studying the interesting cacti and plants in the form of Euphorbia lactiflua, Bahia ambrosoides, Eulychnia saint-pieana, Fagonia chilensis, Mirabilis acutus, Solanum heterantherum among many others. Southern Gray Fox and Guanaco (the wild ancestor of the Llama) are usually seen on the cliffs together a limited number of songbirds as well as American Kestrel, Variable Hawk and Turkey Vulture. Later in the afternoon we will drive southwards to Bahia Inglesa, a coastal resort, our base for the following two nights.

Overnight at Nautel or similar, Bahia Inglesa (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)(Guide)

This morning we will drive south, along the coastal road to the beautiful Llanos de Challe National Park. If the winter rains were enough to trigger the blooming, this park becomes one of the hotspots to see the myriad of Nolana, Cistanthe and many other ‘lomas’ plants which cover the plains and hillsides providing an unreal and uncomparable scene. One of the highlights of the day will be our quest for one of the most charismatic flowers of the ‘blooming desert’, the Lion’s Claw (Leontochir ovallei) which grows in specific gullies along the coast. We will see large stands of Copiapoa dealbata which grow sometimes in exaggerated and oversized clumps. The sandy terrain sustain many bulbs, perennials and annuals including Rhodophiala bagnoldi, Alstroemeria chrysantha, Argylia radiata, Heliotropium megalanthum, Cruckshanksia montiana and Leucocoryne appendiculata. We will visit the coastal wetland of Carrizal Bajo and hopefully we can enjoy watching several species of waterfowl including Black-necked and Coscoroba Swan, Chiloe Wigeon, Yellow-billed Pintail, Cinnamon Teal and Red-gartered Coot among several other species.

Overnight at Nautel or similar, Bahia Inglesa (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)(Guide)

During the morning we will have time the explore the coast around Bahia Inglesa. There are several interesting species such as Frankenia chilensis, Aristolochia chilensis, Nolana rupicola and Tetragonia pedunculata. We might find the impressive Chilean Iguana which inhabits this rocky coast together several other species of lizard. We will take a short transfer to Copiapo airport and take our flight back to Santiago de Chile. (Breakfast)