Chile, Bolivia, and Peru: from Santiago, Chile to Machu Picchu via the Uyuni Salt Flats

as it entered the twentieth century Santiago began to expand eastwards into the new barrio alto and north into Bellavista; in no time the city started gobbling up outlying towns and villages at great speed and Gran Santiago today stretches 40 km by 40 km. The rapid economic growth of the last decade has seen high-rise buildings sprouting up in the central area, particularly in Providencia and Las Condes, but the city’s core still sticks to the same street pattern marked out by Pedro de Valdivia in 1541, and its first public space, the Plaza de Armas, is still at the heart of its street life.

Located at the northernmost tip of Chile, at an altitude of 2430 meters, San Pedro de Atacama is the gateway to the Atacama Desert. San Pedro de Atacama is surrounded by majestic sites with unique landscapes in the world: the Moon and Death Valleys, geysers, salt flats, turquoise-colored lagoons, and some of the highest volcanoes on the continent.

on the bleak southern Altiplano 212 km southwest of Potosí, the town of Uyuni, 3.668 m asl, is the convenient (and nothing else) jumping-off point for touring the remote and beautiful scenery of the surrounding region.

the streets of the colonial city centre still preserve the neat grid pattern laid out by the city founders in accordance with Spanish laws. At its centre stands the Plaza Murillo, home to both the Palacio Presidential, the parliament building and the Catedral Metropolitana. The few colonial buildings still surviving are concentrated on and around the Plaza Murillo and nearby calle Jaén. The city’s most unusual market is the "Mercado de Hechicería", or Witches’ Market, amid lively tourist stores selling locally handcrafted items. The merchandise is herbal and folk remedies, plus a few more unorthodox ingredients intended to placate the various spirits of the Aymará world. After the market we visit the Iglesia de San Francisco, founded in 1548 The baroque facade is decorated with carvings of natural themes such as chirimoyas (custard apples), pine cones and tropical birds.

Puno, rising on the border with Bolivia at a height of 3,810 m, overlooks Lake Titicaca. Though not exceptionally interesting in itself, the town makes for the perfect base to visit the rest of the region.

We cross the Andes, passing a stunning variety of landscapes. Stop at Raqchi, known for the massive walls of an Inca temple built to appease the wrath of the god Viracocha; at the provincial Andahuaylillas, featuring a beautiful 17th-century colonial church; and at the village of Pucarà, famous for its colourful ceramics. The top altitude reached during the journey is 4,335 m, at the La Raya pass. Rising at an height of 3,400 m, Cuczo, once the capital of the Inca empire, was rebuilt by the Spaniards on the vestiges of its ancient palaces, using the remains of the Inca temples and edifices. Today, Cuzco is a lively, fascinating town. Even in the busy summer months, when the Sacred Valley literally swarms with tourists, it preserves its charm.

Aguas Calientes, auch bekannt als Machu Picchu Pueblo, ist eine kleine Stadt am Fuße der berühmten Ruinen von Machu Picchu im Herzen der peruanischen Anden. Sie ist der wichtigste Ausgangspunkt für alle, die die archäologische Stätte von Machu Picchu besuchen möchten. Die Stadt ist von üppigem Tropenwald umgeben und wird vom Fluss Urubamba durchflossen. Sie ist bekannt für ihre natürlichen heißen Quellen, daher auch ihr Name Aguas Calientes", was auf Spanisch heißes Wasser" bedeutet. Aguas Calientes ist eine lebendige und pulsierende Stadt mit einer Vielzahl von Restaurants, Cafés, Kunsthandwerksläden und lokalen Märkten, die eine Vielzahl von traditionellen Produkten und Souvenirs anbieten.

Founded in 1535, in the days of the Conquest Lima used to be one of the wealthiest, mightiest cities in in South America. Its historic centre (UNESCO World Heritage Site) still boasts the beautiful Plaza Mayor, with the old palaces of politic and religious life. The soul of the city, however, has drifted to the modern towns of Miraflores and San Isidro, and to the lively sea town of Barranco.