Following the first half of our day exploring the salt flats of the Los Flamencos National Reserve, we headed to Monjes de la Pacana. Monjes de la Pacana is translated to English as “Pecan Monks”. These enormous rock formations are part of the beauty of the place. The Monjes de la Pacana or “Pecan Monks” are the remains of large volcanic eruptions which once flowed in the area. It was explained to us that these gigantic rock formations rise toward the sky resembling the robes of the monks who guard this beautiful area.
After some time taking some pictures of the “Pecan Monks”, we drove through the caldera to our next destination. This was the most important stop of the day because this was the “relaxing” portion of the day which included wine and lunch! Our car weaved through rock formations and sprawling flat lands until we finally arrived at our destination.
As soon as we stepped out of the vehicle, we felt the wind sweeping through the caldera. The warm breeze felt great as we examined some more rock formations of Monjes de la Pacana.
The “Pecan Monks” were always watching us from the distance. We stayed on our best behavior!
I see you pecan monk!
As we continued to explore and take pictures, our guide began to set up our lunch spot for the remainder of the afternoon. He chose a spot next to the rock formations which hid us from the gusting winds.
While we waited for lunch to be ready, we took some additional pictures but then it was time to truly relax. How did we do that? By enjoying a delicious glass of Chilean wine of course!
Pro Travel Tip: It’s vacation, so have another glass of wine!
After some time enjoying the Chilean wine, lunch was finally ready. We ate tomato and avocado salad, pasta, steak, chicken, smoked salmon and breads. An array of beverages were available for us as well to stay hydrated.
While digesting our lunch and sipping on Chilean wine, we couldn’t help but get lost in the beauty of Monjes de la Pacana.
All in all it was an amazing day taking in such different scenery than we’ve ever experienced in the past. There are so many different types of landscapes in Atacama region to explore that everyday will be different. These differentiations make the Atacama Desert a highly recommended destination for travel.
3 comments
After your blog and that chat I am starving! You two travel in style with lunches like that!! Looks like a beautiful spot for exploring and lunching!
interesting looking rocks! and you had lunch at the proper table:) #weekend wanderlust
What a beautiful location! I wonder who came up with the name for the place or the rock formation (it is a bit hilarious). I didn’t know the proper Spanish word for pecan. We use the English word in Puerto Rico.