![](/templates/yootheme/cache/92/7P8A7515_Volcano_Incawasi_Parque_Nacional_Tres_Cruces_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-9270a9f2.jpeg)
2020 february: Chile - Desierto de Atacama
Arrived in Chile was 2.5 months ahead of me. The plan was to start in the Atacama Desert and drive across the Argentine part of Patagonia to Tierra del Fuego. Then by plane to Quito in Ecuador and on to the Galapagos Islands. From there again to the Ecuadorian southern Amazon.
On departure there were already strong signs of the Corona pandemic, although at that time only in China. It was anticipated - I then had to cancel Ecuador because the borders and national parks were already closed at the end of March. However, I was able to finish Chile and Argentina almost as planned.
Parque Nacional Nevado Tres Cruces
After arriving in Santiago and acclimatizing for two days, we went straight to Copiapo, the starting point for the southern part of the Atakama Desert, the Nevado Tres Cruces National Park or Ojos del Salado. In Santiago I also met Segundo Calderon, my driver and companion, whom I already knew from my Peru tour in 2019 and had reactivated for this adventure. He should accompany me to Tierra del Fuego. After receiving the rental car, we drove to the Tres Cruces National Park. On the way we met Ercio Mettifogo, our guide for the next three days. He is a real connoisseur of this barren, remote and beautiful region. Without him we would not have been able to explore the remote places of this national park. In the national park are the Lagunas Santa Rosa (in the west), Laguna Verde (in the east) and the Laguna del Negro Francisco (in the south). A variety of mountains and volcanoes over 6000 m high, such as The Ojos del Salado 6,893 m, the Salado Tres Cruces 6,749 m, Incahuasi 6,621 m, el Muerto 6,542 m and the Llullaillaco 6,739 m can be found there. It is a breathtaking landscape in which we constantly moved between 4000 m and 5400 m. I had no problems with altitude during the day, only sleeping at this altitude was a little bit difficult. There are also many flamingos, ducks, geese and vicuñas in this region.
![7P8A7365 Laguna Negro Francisko Parque Nacional Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile 7P8A7365 Laguna Negro Francisko Parque Nacional Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/11901-12000/7P8A7365_Laguna_Negro_Francisko_Parque_Nacional_Tres_Cruces_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-11913-320-200-80.jpg)
![7P8A7464 Laguna Verde 7P8A7464 Laguna Verde](/images/igallery/resized/11901-12000/7P8A7464_Laguna_Verde-11914-320-200-80.jpg)
![7P8A7484 Volcano Incawasi Parque Nacional Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile 7P8A7484 Volcano Incawasi Parque Nacional Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/11901-12000/7P8A7484_Volcano_Incawasi_Parque_Nacional_Tres_Cruces_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-11915-320-200-80.jpg)
![7P8A7515 Volcano Incawasi Parque Nacional Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile 7P8A7515 Volcano Incawasi Parque Nacional Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/11901-12000/7P8A7515_Volcano_Incawasi_Parque_Nacional_Tres_Cruces_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-11916-320-200-80.jpg)
![7P8A7555 Laguna Verde Parque Nacional Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile 7P8A7555 Laguna Verde Parque Nacional Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/11901-12000/7P8A7555_Laguna_Verde_Parque_Nacional_Tres_Cruces_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-11917-320-200-80.jpg)
![7P8A7601 Refugio No.1 Parque Nacional Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile 7P8A7601 Refugio No.1 Parque Nacional Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/11901-12000/7P8A7601_Refugio_No.1_Parque_Nacional_Tres_Cruces_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-11918-320-200-80.jpg)
![7P8A7706 Flamingo Laguna Santa Rosa Pn Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile 7P8A7706 Flamingo Laguna Santa Rosa Pn Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/11901-12000/7P8A7706_Flamingo_Laguna_Santa_Rosa_Pn_Tres_Cruces_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-11919-320-200-80.jpg)
![AI6I9211 Vicunas Laguna Negro Franzisco Pn Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile AI6I9211 Vicunas Laguna Negro Franzisco Pn Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/11901-12000/AI6I9211_Vicunas_Laguna_Negro_Franzisco_Pn_Tres_Cruces_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-11920-320-200-80.jpg)
![AI6I9497 Bird Parque Nacional Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile AI6I9497 Bird Parque Nacional Tres Cruces Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/11901-12000/AI6I9497_Bird_Parque_Nacional_Tres_Cruces_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-11921-320-200-80.jpg)
![AI6I9603 Flamingo Laguna Santa Rosa PN Nevado Tres Cuces Desierto de Atacama Chile AI6I9603 Flamingo Laguna Santa Rosa PN Nevado Tres Cuces Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/11901-12000/AI6I9603_Flamingo_Laguna_Santa_Rosa_PN_Nevado_Tres_Cuces_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-11922-320-200-80.jpg)
![7P8A7579 Don Ercio 7P8A7579 Don Ercio](/images/igallery/resized/12001-12100/7P8A7579_Don_Ercio-12093-320-200-80.jpg)
![IMG12075 my weapon IMG12075 my weapon](/images/igallery/resized/12001-12100/IMG12075_my_weapon-12094-320-200-80.jpeg)
![IMG21811 Ercio Mettifogo Guide and good friend Ojos del Salado IMG21811 Ercio Mettifogo Guide and good friend Ojos del Salado](/images/igallery/resized/12001-12100/IMG21811_Ercio_Mettifogo_Guide_and_good_friend_Ojos_del_Salado-12098-320-200-80.jpeg)
Parque Nacional Pan de Azucar
We continued from the National Park Salado Tres Cruces on the Pacific coast to the National Park Pan de Azucar. It is again at sea level. This is where the rare Humboldt penguins, various species of cormorants, pelicans, nutria and sea lion colonies live. We spent two days there before driving back to Copiapo, dropping off the rental car and flying to Puerto Montt.
![7P8A7882 Pelican Pan de Azucar Desierto de Atacama Chile 7P8A7882 Pelican Pan de Azucar Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/6001-6100/7P8A7882_Pelican_Pan_de_Azucar_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-6028-320-200-80.jpg)
![7P8A7997 Pan de Azucar Desierto de Atacama Chile 7P8A7997 Pan de Azucar Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/6001-6100/7P8A7997_Pan_de_Azucar_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-6029-320-200-80.jpg)
![7P8A8023 Pan de Azucar Desierto de Atacama Chile 7P8A8023 Pan de Azucar Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/6001-6100/7P8A8023_Pan_de_Azucar_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-6030-320-200-80.jpg)
![7P8A8029 Pan de Azucar Desierto de Atacama Chile 7P8A8029 Pan de Azucar Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/6001-6100/7P8A8029_Pan_de_Azucar_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-6031-320-200-80.jpg)
![AI6I0271 Sea Lion Pan de Azucar Desierto de Atacama Chile AI6I0271 Sea Lion Pan de Azucar Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/6001-6100/AI6I0271_Sea_Lion_Pan_de_Azucar_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-6032-320-200-80.jpg)
![AI6I9961 Cormorane 1 Pan de Azucar Desierto de Atacama Chile AI6I9961 Cormorane 1 Pan de Azucar Desierto de Atacama Chile](/images/igallery/resized/6001-6100/AI6I9961_Cormorane_1_Pan_de_Azucar_Desierto_de_Atacama_Chile-6033-320-200-80.jpg)