Ride Fat Bikes in the Atacama - Book Your Fat-Biking Adventure in Iquique, Chile

Summary: The #fatbike or fat tire bike is the work and grace of Alaska. These bikes were designed to ride in the snow, although, with a simpler design, they also allow you to ride in the sand. One thing: if you've never been on #mountainbike, better next, because it requires some practice. The bike works with a classic counter-pedal brake, guaranteeing you don’t get a crest and a half in the dunes. Obviously, you don’t need change control, because the wheels and your legs make all the stick. A tour initially aimed at foreigners, because, let’s face it, no one is a prophet in their land 🤷‍♀️. After this afternoon, I have sand even in my ears, but watching the sunset in the desert is unpayable 😌Thank you for reminding me how much I like to pedal and the nostalgia for all the kicks on bikes as a child 😁

Summary: Since I saw a report on TVN, it took me more than a year to locate the contact of this Tour adventure. The videos and images available on the Internet, although very striking, could never describe the special feeling of making a magical descent through a wonderful desert next to a sunset that we can hardly forget. The descent was with the youngest of my daughters, 23, I am 58. I hope in a few more years to make the descent with my grandchildren who are 6 and 4 years old today. Billy our outstanding Guide-Instructor, with precise directions that allow a pleasant and safe journey. (Froilán and Geraldine Echeverría - 31.May.2019)

Summary: We were 4 people, my wife, my 2 kids (14 and 13) and I, we live in Viña Del Mar, Chile, and spent christmas week in Iquique... and this activity was the main reason to travel to for the Hollidays, and was one of the best outdoor experiences that we had. It is an activity that can be done by the whole family, I'd say with no restrictions at all, if you can ride a bike, you can do it. Billy is an excellent guide, we enjoined the company and the conversation.Yo don't need to bring your cell or camera... Billy takes care of that. Downhill mountain biking It is also an activity to do with friends or colleagues, I'm thinking to do it again as a team-building activity with my job colleagues. I was surprised to hear that very few chilean people takes this kind of tours, please don't miss the opportunity to do it. In summary... it was unbelievable, you can't miss this.

Summary: Excellent experience. We are two marriages around 50 years, with two sedentaries who had no problem with physical activity. Pedaling in the desert and descending in the dunes exceeded our expectations: it was entertaining and safe. Good and comfortable bikes. A privilege to travel in the company of Billy and Yuri and an excellent willingness and attention to our doubts and requirements. We were picked up at 15:00 at our hotel and returned around 22:00 hours; back we stopped at Pica and La Tirana. A spectacular afternoon: this tour was the goal of our trip and we were very happy.

Summary: Yesterday we went on a fat biking tour with Billy and Joanna. It was really impressive. Great feeling going downhill over the sand dunes in the Atacama dessert. Sun going down created a magnificent atmosphere. Billy and Joanna had prepared the trip very well, being in time they picked us up at our appartment in Iquique. On our way to and back from the dessert we came to know much more about the Chilean nature, history, people, society and politics than we would have ever known when just visiting Chili as regular tourists. We won’t ever forget this tour. Thanks a lot for your hospitality and introduction into Chili!

Summary: We spent 6 days with Mistico exploring the Atacama highlands and desert with our 8 and 10 year old boys. We spent time with an Aymara family learning about llama/alpaca herding, swimming in fabulous geothermal pools, sandboarding and fat biking. The experience for our family was amazing. Billy is a biologist by training and gave us education on the ecosystem and environment that could be understood and appreciated by kids. He also came up with fun activities that he modified on the fly to suit the feedback from my children. Everywhere we went, the people that Billy introduced us to were lovely and delightful in their engagement of our family. If you are a family, I would highly recommend an adventure with Mistico but be aware of what you are signing up for - the Adobe hut accommodations are not plush but they are lovely. The food is what the locals eat, kids who are picky eaters might have a tough time, and the hiking is at 13K feet and above, but Billy is able to modify hikes and activities to suit the needs of the kids where necessary. Mistico also does day trips specific to hiking, fat biking, and sand boarding and has kid sized bikes if six days seems a bit much. Getting out to Atacama takes some effort, but with Mistico and Billy, you will get a fabulous, safe, and well planned adventure. We are already planning a trip to Peru with Billy for our next trip.

Summary: Our tour with Mistico included fat biking, camping, visiting Pica, experiencing local Aymara culture, birding, and cycle touring through the Altiplano. First, Billy and is crew are outstanding. They went above and beyond to accommodate our needs, including traveling with our dog and having a vegan diet. Second, the overall experience was one of my highlights in during our South America tour. It was authentic, original, and off the regular tourist path. I highly recommend Mistico for any adventure touring. Don't waste your time and money in San Pedro de Atacama with all the tourists, rather experience the wild through the lens of environment and sustainable tourism.

Summary: We spent several days with Billy and Joanna of Mistico exploring the unknown Atacama. First, we headed to Alto de Pica, where we set off on a thrilling evening fat biking ride through the sand dunes before camping under the stars in the dunes. The following morning, we did the whole ride all over again, only this time in daylight. Feeling a bit more confident in light, we tested our skills by riding up and over the dunes. Afterward, we quenched our thirst in Pica, where we enjoyed two glasses of freshly squeezed mango juice, quite possibly the most wonderful beverage I have ever had the pleasure of drinking. A few days later, Billy loaded our touring bikes and all of our gear and we drove a few hours near the Bolivian border. We stopped several times for acclimation walks, while Billy pointed out important flora and fauna of the region. Over the next two days, we hiked among catci forest and visited a thermal pool (when our heads were in too much pain to cycle from the altitude!) and cycled from one Aymara village to the next. We stayed in the homes of two different Aymara families, who not only accommodated our dog, but also our vegan diet. The food was incredible and we learned how to make quinoa, the traditional way. Our experience with Mistico Outdoors showed us a side of Chile we would not have otherwise seen. Billy and Joanna provided heaps of cultural and biological information, and provided a incredible adventure in the Atacama altiplano.