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Polly289
We are travelling through Chile specifically to see the wildlife. The first time we arrived here there were no boat trips running as the sea was thought too rough. There is no harbour so people just have to walk into the sea to get into the boats. This means it has to be really calm to run the boat trips. The lady looking after the toilets (300 pesos a go) told us it would be a few days before the boats would be running. So we went elsewhere and returned a week later. We did enjoy excellent views of Skimmers on the beach though.On our second visit the boats were running. We put our name down on the list, 6000 pesos each, and waited for the next boat. Each boat takes 15 people and a loudhailer calls you when a boat is ready to depart. We waded into the sea about 8 inches deep and were helped on to the boat. Life jackets provided. Then we had a trip to the island but did not see any large concentrations of birds. Just a few Humboldt penguins and Peruvian pelicans and some sealions. The small boat was full, so photography was difficult. We think the Humboldt Pinguinos Islands are better- at least for us!
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HaBeenthere
A beautiful place to visit in the Atacama Desert. It took us about two hours to get to Pan de Azucar from Copiapo, but keep in mind that Ruta 5 is currently under construction, so it added to the time. There is a 2.000 peso fee to enter for Chileans and 4.000 peso fee for foreigners, however, if you enter at the north end of the park about a 30 minute drive north of Chañaral, there is no ranger station, so you can enter for free. We exited through here. Four of us rented cabin #3, and it was perfect. It is equipped with kitchen supplies, a large grill, and it had two bedrooms with private bathrooms. The water temperature and pressure was a bit difficult to manage, but that didn’t impact my experience. There is a large terrace of the back, and a perfect place to sit and take in the view of the ocean and the island off the coast. It was nice to listen to the waves all night. During the summer, CONAF holds daily activities for guests, and it is a great way to get to see the park. We hiked Las Lomitas, independently. It was about a 30 minute drive from the cabin, and the hike in 5 km in. The scenery throughout the park and this hike are continuously changing, it was beautiful. The hike is not difficult, more like a long walk. Most people visit the park for the day, but I recommend staying for there, and either renting a cabin or camping. The camping grounds and the park in general, are kept immaculate, which is a welcome change from the garbage strewn for miles along the side of highway throughout the desert. When heading back to the airport, it is an easy detour to spend a few hours in Bahia Inglesa.
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WeylandFamily
We've lived in Chile for over 4 years and hit all major tourist destinations, but this is definitely one of my favourites! It confirms my theory that the best places to see in Chile have very little tourist infrastructure - if you are willing to pitch a tent in Chile, you will be rewarded with beautiful, pristine landscapes and abundant wildlife like what you find in Parque National de Pan de Azucar.When you enter the park you feel like you might be on another planet. The landscape looks like it could be the moon, with craggy multi-coloured rocks contrasted against white sand. On top of it, the ocean is turquoise, and breathtaking as the waves hit the shore with the shadow of the large, cone shaped island nearby. There are 3 hiking trails: 1) The mirador which is only about 2 km each direction and takes you to a cliff looking over the park, at the coast. 2) Las Lomitas is a bit more extensive, 5 km each way but easy hiking (my 4 and 6 year olds did it easily, and my husband carried our heavy toddler on his back), but takes you through dry hot desert into the cool and somewhat dense fog coming off the Pacific. 3) The desert oasis which is about 2 km in each direction. From the small harbour you can hire a fishing boat (it was about 60.000 clp to share a boat with another family - about 10 of us in total, so about 30.000 clp per family) and see the sea life on the island off the coast, where you'll find Humboldt penguins, cormorants of different types, pelicans, sea lions and possibly bottle-nosed dolphins and whales. Since El Nino is in full swing, we were lucky enough to see a huge flock of giant orange jelly fish coming through - which floated right up along the side of the boat, and our boat driver was brave enough to pet one on it's head! I have never seen that in the wild before - we were blown away! We didn't see whales or dolphins, although from Nov. to April they are often seen off the coast.Camping is beautiful, there was hardly anyone else there - we stayed at the Pan de Azucar Lodge campground. The sites are well equipped with huts to shade the sun, and walls around the cooking area to block the wind and make for good BBQing. BRING YOUR OWN WOOD, YOU ARE GOING TO THE DESERT! Lots of people only had charcoal but wood is nice if you want to have a nice evening fire and roast marshmallows. The facilities were better than average Chile camping - real bathrooms (not outhouses) and showers (with limited hot water - between 6-8 PM only and solar heated, so it made for 2 min of bliss but no more than that). Everything was VERY CLEAN and cared for. The campground guardias are very nice and will allow you to store some items in their fridges - I snuck a bottle of white wine in my stash for refrigeration, which was awesome on the beach at sunset after a few days of warm drinks!Watch out for the desert fox and the vultures in the park - although magnificent to watch they love to steal food and are very sneaky. We're Canadians and are used to bears and raccoons stealing everything, but here we let our guard down and lost a bag of chips (huge one), nachos and a freshly cooked chicken leg. We didn't even see it happen :)Other advice: Bring all your own supplies - food and lots and lots of water, charcoal, wood, and the typical camping equipment, and LOTS OF SUNSCREEN. There are basic restaurants close by if you need a break from cooking and you can also buy fresh fish from fishermen. There are no trees in the park and the sun is super strong, so cover your skin as the sunscreen (replenished 3-4 times daily) will still not completely protect you. This place is relatively kid friendly - our 2 year old, 6 year old and 8 year old had the time of their lives and will be talking about their magical experience in the park for a very long time. Spectacular experience, highly recommend to anyone with a sense of adventure and love of hiking/nature!
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KannanAT
Please remember to plan your visit in spring. This is the time when all the cactus will have flowers in them and the sight is amazing. If you are fortunate then you can see the desert flowers also. The beach sand is white, which adds to the beauty of the place. If you can trek to the top of the hill, you will find zorros who will come and eat what you offer them.If the sea is calm please do take a boat ride to the island close by which is a penguin preserve. You cannot land on the island. It is prohibited. There are also plenty of sea lions. You can also see some sea otters.If you are a para gliding enthusiast , then it is a place you should visit.
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MeiL67
The best way to get to the park is by driving. That said, don't let that deter you from visiting. We had a nice evening camping by the beach and stargazing. We were there off-season so we practically had the entire beach to ourselves. However, that also meant that tourist facilities like restaurants and boat tours were closed. Bring your own camping gear as while basic chalets are available (and only during tourist season), they are exorbitantly-priced. Oh and if you visit expecting long stretches of white-sand beaches and visions of you in a hammock with a margarita in one hand, you'll be disappointed. Pan de Azucar is more rustic and only boasts basic facilities. Still, it made for a nice getaway from the hustle bustle of the city.
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876narellek
We spent the day with Etty and Carlos in the Nacional Parque. We have done many tours before but Etty and Carlos are two of the best ever! Etty was very knowledgeable about the region and we have learnt very much today. Apart from this was her patience with us as we changed the day of the tour twice and on top of this we do not speak Spanish. They have been incredibly hospitable with their knowledge, time and home. We feel like friends. We were not sure what to expect today but it has been amazing and we will definetly recommend Etty to anyone.
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malvern09
Bit of a drive to get here from Copiapo (but the only nearer town is Chanaral, and you certainly wouldn't want to stay there), but once you get beyond Chanaral, the desert/coast scenery gets more interesting, with a couple of very pretty, secluded beaches. The best reason for visiting is a boat trip round Isla Pan de Azucar, home to the northernmost colony of Humboldt Penguins (as well as sealions, pelicans, etc). To reach the island, drive about 30km beyond Chanaral (on the coast road), past the first 'inhabited' beach, and over the headland to the next beach. Then find your willing fisherman! We were a little surprised that even though there were 4 people wanting to go at noon, the fishermen wouldn't set out till three. Still, there was a cafeteria on the beach, so could wait with a nice cold drink and a snack. Makes sense, I suppose, if the penguins are at sea feeding during the middle of the day and don't return till late afternoon... so just don't expect to do it in a hurry! We also had the excitement of the boat's engine dying once we reached the island (you don't actually land, just sail close to it), and taking 40 minutes for them to get it restarted. If the worst had come to the worst, it wasn't that long a swim to the nearest beach...
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expat326
To reach this park, you have to drive through some rather dreary parts of the desert and the dreary town of Chanaral. From the entrance to the park to the beach or camp sites, its about a 30 minute drive - 4 wheel drive not required. I visited in May which is fall/winter. I saw only a few other people while I was there. Some of the beaches have white sand and a wicked surf. There are some camping sites and a few rustic cabins for rent. The highlight was stopping at the guard shack/tourist information site just before Caleche where there are some rustic restaurants. The young man staffing the place was very knowledgeable and eager to share information about the park, the best hikes, etc. He even lent me binoculars to watch a pair of dolphins in the bay. His enthusiasm for the place really changed my mind about my visit. If you are in the area and have the time to explore, you will enjoy it, otherwise head further south to Bahia Inglesa.
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ItsSuuS
We spend 2 nights in a cabin here withv a view over the island. Wonderfull relaxing place. There are some nice hikes in the park or you can ask a fisherman to guide you around the island to see penguins, sealions and more birds. Gorgeous views from the Mirador!!
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Bugs06
Seculded. Relaxing. Great waves for body surfing.I spent 2 days here and it wasnt enough. The 3 campsites are right on the beach. The campsites cost 3500 to 5000 per person. The cheaper for a bit of ground to pitch a tent, the expensive one for a table and wind and sun cover (i recommend this one as there are no trees). The nearby town has all supplies needed to camp and even a small resturant on the campsite. The national park is just a desert, no trees etc but this place is worht it if tou want to sit on a a beach and do nothing
