Toconao

The last stop of the day was at Toconao village. Here we stopped at the main square with the old bell tower from the colonial time (built in 1750) still standing in the square. The door of the bell tower was made of dry cactus. Even the circulares staircase inside the church was made from dry cactus.

Toconao village, with a population of around 700 people, is at 2,475 m above sea level and located 38 km south of San Pedro de Atacama, sitting on the edge of the vast salt flat “Salar de Atacama”. The geographic landscape that surrounds the village is formidable. The village itself is an oasis, with a sweet water supply free from mineral contamination such as arsenic or acids, and ideal for the cultivation of fruit trees such as pears, plums and quince as well as vegetables. Most buildings are constructed from white, soft liparita stone, quarried locally.Read more