Atacama Desert

One of the driest places on Earth, featuring otherworldly landscapes including salt flats, geysers, and colorful mountains. Visitors flock here for adventure activities, stargazing, and unique geological formations.

Things to do

• El Tatio Geysers — Witness the third-largest geyser field in the world with steaming hot springs at high altitude, best visited at dawn when geothermal activity is most dramatic.
• Atacama Salt Flats — Explore vast white salt plains with surreal geometric patterns and shallow lagoons reflecting the sky, creating an otherworldly landscape.
• Valley of the Moon — Hike through multicolored rock formations and deep canyons displaying layers of red, orange, and purple minerals shaped by wind and water erosion.
• Stargazing in San Pedro — Experience some of Earth's clearest night skies from San Pedro de Atacama, with professional astronomical observatories offering guided telescope viewing.
• Laguna Cejar — Swim in a hypersal mineral lagoon surrounded by the Andes where the high salt concentration allows visitors to float effortlessly.
• Rainbow Mountain — Trek to Montaña de los Siete Colores featuring vibrant mineral-stained slopes of red, yellow, green, and purple across its ridges.
• Flamingo Lagoons — Visit a series of high-altitude salt lakes home to Andean flamingos, vicuñas, and other wildlife in a stark desert setting.

Food to try

• Empanadas de Pino — Baked pastries filled with seasoned ground beef, onions, olives, and hard-boiled eggs, a ubiquitous Chilean comfort food.
• Cazuela — A traditional earthenware pot stew combining local vegetables, potatoes, and either chicken or beef in a hearty broth.
• Charque de Llama — Dried and salted llama meat served as strips or shredded, a protein-rich dish reflecting the region's camelid herding heritage.
• Quinoa Soup — A nourishing local soup made from ancient Andean quinoa grain combined with vegetables and sometimes local herbs.
• Pastel de Choclo — A savory pie with a sweet corn topping layered with ground beef, olives, and hard-boiled eggs, a Chilean classic adapted to local ingredients.

Local customs & good to know

• Respect High Altitude — San Pedro de Atacama sits at 2,400 meters elevation; arrive a day early to acclimatize and drink coca tea to minimize altitude sickness.
• Early Morning Excursions — Tours depart very early (often 4-5 AM) to catch sunrise and peak geological colors, so prepare accordingly and book accommodations close to town.
• Indigenous Heritage — The region is home to Atacameño and Aymara peoples; support local guides and communities by choosing locally-owned tour operators and respecting sacred sites.
• Water Conservation — The Atacama is extremely arid with limited water resources; use water sparingly in accommodations and understand that conservation is a local priority.