Few destinations are as visibly stunning as Chile’s Atacama Desert.
Renowned as the driest desert in the world, this region is home to salt basins, lagoons, interesting rock formations, geysers, and lots of sand.
The Atacama Desert is not to be missed
Located a two hour flight north of the country’s capital, Santiago, the Atacama Desert is not to be missed.
I spent three days there last October and the striking views begged me to keep my camera charged and at the ready. The adventure seeker in me was also appeased as the area also offers a wide range of things to do.
Atacama Desert, Chile
San Pedro de Atacama a base for exploring
Making the village of , you can book a variety of tours that will take you deep into the captivating desert. I booked three days of tours from one of the many tour operators housed on the main streets of San Pedro. While tours are easy to arrange and fairly priced, though those travelling to Chile from other, cheaper countries in Latin America will find some of the prices a tad elevated. Travel agents are willing to bargain, however.
Luna landscape of the Atacama Desert
See El Tatio geyser erupt
Day by day, I allowed myself to be wowed by what I saw. On my first day, I took an afternoon tour of the Sun and Moon Valleys, and traipsed up and down rock formations that made me feel as though I had landed on Mars. On the second day, I did a full day 4×4 tour of the salt flats and lagoons of the area. On the last day, my tour group collected me at 5:30 am for an early morning drive to see El Tatio geyser erupt. Nestled in the Andes mountain range 4300m above sea level, this geyser is amongst the highest-elevated in the world. After the sweltering heat I had endured the previous days when I did my tours at a lower elevation, it was strange to bundle up in winter coat and gloves and brave frigid temperatures.
Oneika in the Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert stole my heart with its extreme landscapes and unforgiving beauty. It is well worth the trip should you ever find yourself in Chile.
Have you been to the Atacama Desert in Chile? What did you think?
