Paddling near Copiapó, Atacama

Copiapó sits at the southern edge of the Atacama Desert, where the Río Copiapó drains westward toward the Pacific. The area's paddling centers on coastal access: Puerto Viejo, at the river's mouth, is the main put-in point on the Río Copiapó, while the calm bays near Caldera and Bahía Inglesa draw kayakers and SUP paddlers to clear, sheltered water.