Toconao and Quebrada de Jere

Information

Toconao is a small Atacameño village at 2485 metres above sea level, located in the Antofagasta region of Chile.

To get there from San Pedro de Atacama, it is 39 km along Route 23 in the direction of the Sico Pass. First you cross a bridge over the Jere River and enter the village.

It has a square with a church and its bell tower dating back to the 18th century. Its houses are built with blocks of liparite stone (like pumice), a volcanic rock. It has some basic shops, restaurants and accommodation.

From the village there is a dirt road heading east, and at 1200 metres is the valley of Jere. There is a path about 1000 metres long, where you can see the river running through a ravine and a real oasis where fruit and vegetables are grown. It takes about 1 hour to complete the walk, where you can see a quarry, petroglyphs and the so-called 'trojas', which are places used to store products.