Rainbow Valley Tour, Yerbas Buenas Petroglyphs - Half Day Tour

A wonder in the middle of the Chilean desert
Close to San Pedro de Atacama it is located one of the biggest gifts from nature, among giant stony walls in the Río Grande basin.
The colorful hills that paint the Chilean desert are the result of a different minerals mix that show themselves on top of one another in different layers, telling the geologic history of the Rainbow Valley. These sculptures —carved with naturals tools such as wind an oxygen during thousands of years— decorate with green and white the clayey red stones that cover most of this place.
These big walls made of minerals, salt, and rock formations also have some other trails that form a magic path where the contact with years of geologic history makes you understand that there are things much bigger than us.

The intense red color of the streets, the agriculture and the impressive sunshine are part of the landscape of Río Grande —a town with unique customs and traditions. Located at 90 km from San Pedro de Atacama, this town conserves a beautiful legacy among its hills.
Its inhabitants know the importance of keeping the architecture of the region, as it is seen in their houses with walls made of cut stone and roofs made of mud with cactus and carob wood beams. This is an important part of the charm of this place that tourists admire, who, when visiting, live a unique archeological experience in contact with nature.
Río Grande is described by the visitors as a close, working, and kind community that searches for preserving its history, beliefs, and customs for future generations.

The biggest rock art spot of the area, called Yerbas Buenas, was a resting place for merchant caravans, nomadic travelers, and also the Atacama people who moved during days through the desert.
In this travel in time you will learn about taira, the carving technique used by this people to illustrate llamas, alpacas, and other animals directly in the reddish stone that characterizes this zone. Human figures, faces and bodies in meditation positions —representing Yatiris— complete this open-air museum charged with history that the Atacama people carry from their ancestors with pride.
In this tour through the same place where the ancient inhabitants of this valley rested and left their mark, today we can share those experiences that go beyond people, travels and generations, and that keep the magic of this site in the rocks that surround your gaze.