Breakfast with the group and drive to motorcycle warehouse.
Motorcycles deliver and check by each member.
Cancel Safety deposit.
Small tour to the nearby Cordillera, we will drive to a Ski area on the mountains so you will get use to the motorcycle.
Late in the afternoon, welcome dinner.
Day 2:
Departure time at 8:00A.M.
Trip for the whole day on surroundings of Santiago, watch the local agriculture and watch the daily living of the country side people. We will drive through nice big vineyards were grapes are rise for the famous Chilean Wine. Also will have the chance to see plantations of avocados, oranges, and peaches. About 50 % of the road will be asphalt and the other 50 % will be dirt, this will give you the chance to learn your motorcycle for the future adventure.
After driving 210 miles we will get back to the hotel and prepare for a nice dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Day 3:
Departure time at 8:00A.M.
Leaving Santiago by the north side of the city we will take you through a nice road, side to side of the Cordillera de Los Andes were you will see the agriculture of the central zone and will appreciate the big vineyards were grapes for famous Chilean wine is rise. You will drive through small villages and towns that were once very important in Chilean history. The very first 100 miles will be of asphalt, then we will get into a dirt road that has been repaired for vehicles. Many years ago it was a railroad, through were the train run to the north of the country, but today the rails have been removed. It is interesting to drive here because of the opened curves and constant gradient, big iron bridges and narrow tunnels were only one vehicle can go through.
Arriving at destiny you will have time to rest, have a shower and dress for a little walk to a restaurant for a nice dinner.
Day 4:
Departure time at 8:00A.M.
We will keep you driving north by a dirt road and get into the Andes pre-cordillera, you will appreciate the less amount of vegetation, but get into the clearest sky's were the air is clean and pure. We will go up and down on this small hills and slopes reaching summits and have a nice view of the nearby valleys.
After some ours of driving we will get to small asphalt road and drive on the side of the valley that is completely dedicated to the grape industry for export. Here you will appreciate how even the sides of the mountains are used to rise grapes.
Arriving at destiny you will have time to rest, have a shower and prepare for a nice BBQ that will be prepared by the Pool.
Day 5:
Departure time at 9:00A.M.
Driving east to the Valley of Vicuna we will get in by the left side through a nice dirt road until we get to a new dam that looks for the waters to irrigate the valley down. Then to the town of Vicuna were Gabriela Mistral (Literature Nobel Price) was born. Near you will have the chance to get into a Pisco brewery. Pisco is the national drink, also made from grapes and can be combines with lemon and sugar to get the famous Pisco Sour or also can be combines with fruit juices and colas.
Our final destination for this day will be Pisco Elqui, a small colonial village were we would spend the rest of the afternoon in a swimming pool and prepare for a night horseback ride to watch the stars in the clearest sky of the world if you wish.
Day 6:
Departure time at 9:00A.M.
Drive back to La Serena to know the city, one of the oldest in Chile and La Recova Market well known for its pottery. This town lives from agriculture and mining as well and became a well-known summer vacation place on the Pacific Coast for Argentineans, Brazilians and rest of South America. Europeans and North Americans are starting to visit it. We will drive to the nearby beaches and visit some of the biggest summer condos in the region to look for a nice meal by the seashore at Guanaqueros or Tongoy.
Back to hotel for a nice rest because next day we will start getting into the desert zone.
Casino available at 10 minutes taxi drive if you wish to go.
Day 7:
Departure time at 8:30A.M.
Driving north on the Pan-American Highway for 30 miles by the seaside to a dirt road where we will keep having adventure on this trip. We will see some nice small water ponds of emerald waters until we get to a place were iron mineral was loaded into vessels directly from the train in the early days of the 20 th century. Today the big iron structure has been cut out and sold to feed the village necessities but the place has lots of history of many years of hard work. After we will climb the coastal range and drive to the abandoned mine that fed this port It is interesting to see how to get water from the clouds that come from the ocean and pushed by the winds to the high mountains of the coast range.
By the end of the day we will arrive at Huasco were a nice small hotel will let us rest for the night. You will have time for shower before we walk to a nearby restaurant for a nice meal.
Day 8:
Departure time at 8:30A.M.
Again driving north by the seaside through a dirt road we will get to and old village that has lots of history for Chile. From here on are the nicest views of the Atacama Desert, specially when winter season has deposit some water on it and the desert booms up. You will be able to appreciate big extensions of flowers of different colors, situation that can only be seen every six to ten years. Also you will see nice beaches of transparent waters and clear sands of hundreds of miles in extension.
We will get into the desert and loose the sea view for a couple of hours before we get to Puerto Viejo, from here we will face the coast road again that will drive us to Caldera where excellent food, rest and a tempered pool will be waiting for us.
Time to swim, bath and change clothes before we get for dinner.
Day 9:
Rest day so you can do whatever you wish.
We all can swim on the beach, visit the fishermen's dock, visit the village square and the local church that was design by Eiffel and brought completely from Europe. Also the train station can be visited and learn that between this port and the city of Copiapo run the first train in Chile on the year 1851, many other things ca be done during day. Time to taste seafood and Chilean wines will be part of the day activities.
Day 10:
Departure time at 8:30A.M.
After the nice rest we will get into the Pan-American Highway for another 56 miles by the sea side and will get to National Park Pan de Azucar, on a dirt road we will cross it and have the chance to see some of the beauties that this park offers. Guanacos, fox and condors appear when you less expect them. The colors and shapes of the slopes and mountains are spectacular. You will feel how small and tiny we are in he immensity of the panorama. A singular type of cactus that follows the sun path will be part of the scenery.
We will get to Cifuncho and with some good luck see the local fishermen at work, then keep our way to Taltal to end the day.
Time for shower and change clothes before we walk to a near restaurant for a nice dinner.
Day 11:
Departure time at 8:00A.M.
Driving out of the town for some miles we will soon get into a dirt road that will take us to start climbing into the mountains. For some hours we will drive in the desert zone and have the chance to recreate our view with the different colors and shapes of the sandy contour.
After crossing the Pan-American Highway and refueling, we will get into the arid desert and have the chance to get to and abandon train station in the middle of nowhere. See some of the abandon Salitreras were only some walls are still looking the sky. The extension and opening of the terrain is impressive, you can see for miles and miles nothing else than sand and stones. By now the sea has been left back and at every moment we are getting higher. This is the slower part of the journey due to the "chusca" name given to some small ponds filled with dirt so fine that could be body powder, so deep that can get you at your knee when standing. By the afternoon we will be arriving to El Salvador, a mining copper city that stands 7000 feet high on the Andes Range.
Small hotel with nice restaurant and good food will give us the necesary rest for the next day.
Day 12:
Departure time at 8:00A.M.
We must depart early today facing the Cordillera de Los Andes. We will drive through mountains and valleys of many different colors and sizes. The journey today is the largest of the trip. The road is extremely good and easy to drive because is salt based, so is compacted and hard. This road will drive us between the 9000 and 12000 feet for a long period, e will see enormous salt lakes and pure water lakes of such a beauty that you will never forget. On the back you will see the Nevado del Maricunga.
We will continue by the east side and see the Nevado de Tres Cruces normally with snow on top, to arrive to the Chilean customs. We will continue by the side of the Maricunga Salt lake on our way to Santa Rosa Water Lake, looking for the different mining roads that finally will drive us to the city of Copiapo. The colors and stripes on the mountainsides of this zone are particularly different and unique.
Rest during the night.
Day 13:
Departure time at 8:30A.M.
Driving through the Valley of San Francisco we will look for the best dirt road that takes us south to join the Pan-American Highway down to Vallenar and then to La Serena.
Arriving early to hotel, we will have time to swim in the pool and have some surprise.
Day 14:
Departure time at 9:00A.M.
Starting at La Serena we will drive to Ovalle and then by a dirt road down until we reach the Pan-American Highway at Socos were we will make the rest of the way back to Santiago.
Arriving at same hotel the day you arrive to Chile.
