Holiday in Atacama Desert

About Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is the driest place on Earth — at some measuring stations, not a single drop of rain has been recorded since records began. However, this extreme barrenness has produced a landscape that resembles an alien planet: salt flats in glaring white, geyser fields steaming at sunrise, highland lakes populated by flamingos, and a night sky that is among the clearest in the world. San Pedro de Atacama, a small oasis village at an altitude of 2,400 meters, is the gateway to this extraterrestrial world. The adobe houses, dusty streets, and the sturdy 17th-century adobe church create a charming contrast to the extreme landscape surrounding it. From here, expeditions to the various wonders of the desert begin. The Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) offers a spectacle at sunset that lives up to its name: bizarre erosion formations, salt formations, and dunes bathe in an unreal light of gold, pink, and violet. The geysers of El Tatio at over 4,300 meters are the highest geyser field in the world — at 6 AM, when temperatures drop far below zero, dozens of steam fountains shoot into the icy air, creating an unforgettable image with the rising sun. The Salar de Atacama, Chile's largest salt flat, is home to three species of flamingos that filter Artemia shrimp in the turquoise lagoons. The highland lakes Miscanti and Miñiques at over 4,000 meters perfectly reflect the surrounding volcanoes in symmetry. And at night, the greatest treasure of the Atacama reveals itself: a starry sky of such brilliance that the world's leading observatories are stationed here. The Milky Way shines like a cosmic river, and the silence of the desert makes one's heartbeat audible.