Car Rental at Calama El Loa Airport

Airport travel guide

The city of Calama, and its international airport, is the gateway to Chile’s remote north and one of the most popular attractions in the country, the Atacama Desert. Most travelers will therefore use the city as a transfer to San Pedro de Atacama, about a 90 minute drive to the southeast, the main tourist town in the region. San Pedro itself is not the main attraction, either, but is used as a convenient hub where most tour operators are based and the point from which tours take off. It is possible to pick up a car at Calama Airport, but it’s also an option to go by bus or private transfer and pick up a rental car at San Pedro. Once you have made your way there, these are three of the main attractions in and around it:

• El Tatio. Located almost a two hour drive northeast of San Pedro, El Tatio is the stunning place where the world’s highest geysers can be found – and, consequently, one of the most popular tour destinations in the area. While the area can technically be visited on your own, it is preferable to do this one as a part of an organized tour – a trip from San Pedro to El Tatio includes a very quick ascent of almost 2 km (1.2 miles), so a sudden altitude sickness can become a problem. Be prepared to get up early – most tours take off at 4.00 a.m. – and dress warm as subzero temperatures are very common and it’s not rare for them to drop to -10 C (15 F) or lower around June to August, the winter months in the southern hemisphere.
• Valle de la Luna. Significantly closer to San Pedro, the Moon Valley is only some 8 km (5 miles) outside the town center – some visitors even choose to come and explore on a bicycle. The area is known for its totally otherworldly, surreal landscape and geologic formations, and the ‘moon’ in its name is not just poetic – scientists from many countries of the world come to work in the Atacama as the region is the environment that’s most similar to both moon and Mars anywhere on our planet.
• Lagoons. Several different highland lagoons, such as Chaxa, Cejar, and Escondidas, can also be found in the area, with some being quite close to the city and others again better done on tours as they involve rapid altitude changes and very early, before-sunlight driving. The lagoons are known for the stunning, panoramic landscapes around them, potential flamingo sightings, and many also involve the possibility to swim if the weather is warm enough. If you decide to travel on your own, look up the particular lagoon you’re interested in in advance, as most have opening and closing hours, and will also require purchasing a ticket. 

Top international routes

• Santiago
• Concepcion
• La Serena
• Antofagasta
   

Main airlines

Sky Airline, LATAM Chile, and JetSmart

Terminals

The single airport terminal serves all departures and arrivals.

Location

Calama Airport is about 6 km (3.7 mi) southwest of Calama and 215 km (133 mi) northeast of Antofagasta. Av. Circunvalación / Ruta 25, Av. Balmaceda, and Av. Chorrillos are the main roads connecting the airport to Calama.

Most popular types of rental car

• SUVs - from $77 per day
• Large cars - from $68 per day
• Small cars - from $26 per day
• Medium cars - from $46 per day

Car rental desks

Most are inside the airport terminal. The exact location of your car rental provider's desk will be listed on your Confirmation Voucher.

Services and facilities

Although Calama Airport is really small, you’ll find a few coffee shops and eateries serving both Chilean and international food, as well as a jewelry shop, a local handicrafts shop, and a newsstand. There are also ATMs, a lounge, a first aid station, and two nearby hotels. The airport offers assistance to travelers with reduced mobility, but be sure to contact your airline in advance if you’d like this service.

Nearest gas station

A shell gas station at Av Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 234 can be reached in about six minutes. There are many other gas stations in and around Calama.

Popular one-way rentals

• Antofagasta (215 km / 133 miles)
• Arica (605 km / 376 miles)
• La Serena (1,062 km / 660 miles)
• Santiago (1,533 km / 953 miles)