Please note that public visits are currently not allowed due to safety precautions.
APEX at Chajnantor
APEX, the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment, is a 12-metre diameter antenna observing the Universe at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths. APEX is at one of the highest observatory sites on Earth, at an elevation of 5100 metres on the Chilean Chajnantor plateau. APEX is a collaboration between the Max-Planck Institute for Radioastronomy (MPIfR), the Onsala Space Observatory (OSO), and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The telescope is operated by ESO.
Also on the Chajnantor plateau in the Chilean Andes, ESO, together with its international partners, is building ALMA — a state-of-the-art telescope to study light from some of the coldest objects in the Universe. This light has wavelengths of around a millimetre, between infrared light and radio waves, and is therefore known as millimetre and submillimetre radiation. The ALMA project is a partnership between Europe, Japan and North America in cooperation with the Republic of Chile.
Arriving by plane
The closest airport to Chajnantor is the El Loa International Airport located in Calama, about 120 kilometres west of the observatory. There is no public transport to Chajnantor, so you will need to rent a car.
Driving directions
There are several car rental companies available at the airport, including Alamo, Budget, Econorent or Hertz. The average daily cost of a car in Calama rises to CLP 65 000 (about EUR 92) and it takes about two and a half hours to drive to Chajnantor from the airport.
Visiting astronomers or media with an appointment to visit can follow the driving directions here, (no public visits are allowed due to safety precautions).
To drive from a different city, take the Panamerican Highway as far as the turn for route 25 to Calama. Pass the El Loa Airport, and take route 23 to San Pedro de Atacama. After San Pedro take the route to Toconao until you reach the ALMA/APEX main gate (before Toconao). It takes about four hours to reach APEX from the Panamerican Highway. Please be aware that the road from the ALMA/APEX main gate is private (no public visits are allowed due to safety precautions).
Accommodation
There are no public visits to APEX so it is not possible to stay overnight or obtain food there. Media visits are allowed on special request. For further information on media visits please check here. ESO staff and special visitors usually stay at Apex/Sequitor, ALMA OSF or at La Casa de Don Tomás in San Pedro de Atacama.
Restaurants
ESO staff and visitors usually eat at APEX/Sequitor or ALMA OSF.
Further information on restaurants in San Pedro de Atacama is available here.