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Atacama Stargazing

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Be starstruck by the Ahlarkapin Observatory, one of the best places on earth for stargazing.

With its telescopic eyes open to the heavens, the Ahlarkapin Observatory gazes up from beneath clear Chilean skies. Astronomers prize the Atacama Desert for its optimal stargazing conditions – the typically cloudless nights and remote location far from sources of light pollution make this an ideal window to other worlds.

Just staring up into the limitless celestial expanse, peppered with distant stars and planets, is a breathtaking experience in itself. However the illuminating commentary is what really brings it alive, connecting what you see in the telescope with astronomical events that took place many millennia ago. Your guide will also identify the principal stars and constellations of the Southern Hemisphere, teaching you to read the nocturnal map of the stars above.

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Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Sophie
    Sophie Barber - Travel Expert

    Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.

  • Maggie
    Maggie Wilson - Travel Expert

    Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.

  • Lina
    Lina Fuller - Travel Expert

    Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.

  • Kathryn
    Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert

    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

  • Heloise
    Heloise Buxton - Travel Expert

    Heloise started her Latin American journey as an exchange student in Santiago, Chile. With extended summer holidays this was the perfect opportunity to backpack through Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil.

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

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