Toconao

Chile

The village of Toconao is on the western limit of the Salar de Atacama (salt flats) about 38km from San Pedro de Atacama. Toconao is known for its houses built of white stone (called Liparita) and its church dating from 1750. This church was built of adobe and stone and what makes it special is its dome made from cactus wood.

This village, and the nearby Quebrada de Jere, are usually a quick stop on tours coming back from the Atacama salt flats and the Miscanti and Miñiques lakes. The Quebrada de Jere is a little oasis alongside a river in the middle of the driest desert in the world. There are petroglyphs here which may be hard to see if you don't have a guide with you and there is also a quarry from where the white stone comes from for the construction of the Toconao houses.

In Toconao you can purchase handicraft, the local speciality being items sculptured out of volcanic rock and cactus wood.

The village of Socaire is 58kms from Toconao.

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