Chile: Atacama Desert

Valley of Death

Adventures in the Atacama Desert
Sandwiched between the Pacific and the Andes, the incredible landscape of Chile’s remote Atacama Desert is like no place on earth. With its jagged, rust-colored ravines, vast, rocky, white salt pan and volcano-topped horizons, you would be forgiven for drawing comparisons with places beyond our atmosphere.

Its extreme terrain and arid environment – the Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on the planet – means there is little in the way of human development, making it the perfect spot for travelers who are keen to get off the beaten track.

The small town of San Pedro de Atacama, in the heart of the desert, makes a great base for exploring this fascinating region and checking out some of the awesome adventures it has to offer.

Drinking pisco sour and watching as the setting sun turns the Andes pink
Come sundown, the Valley of the Moon (Valle de la Luna), 15km west of San Pedro, is the place to be. The lunar-like landscape, which gives the valley its name, becomes even more striking as the light changes and the craggy rocks are set aflame. But it’s the Andes that demand the lion’s share of attention. From the cliff-top vantage point, you are perfectly placed to view the ridge of mountains in the east as they go from gold to red and finally a hazy pink before darkness falls. The magnificent sight is best enjoyed with a relaxing drop of the tasty local tipple, pisco sour.

As it is the most popular tour from San Pedro, you will be sharing the experience with plenty of others. For a sunset without the crowds, try a tour that takes you into the Salar de Atacama, Chile’s largest salt flat. Here you’ll find huge pools with just a couple of inches of water that offer a stunning reflection of the Andes.

Sandboarding down giant dunes in Death Valley
Hurtling down 100 meter-high dunes in the spectacular setting of Death Valley (Valle de la Muerte, chile.travel) is a must-do for adrenaline junkies. Just a 10-minute drive from San Pedro, the imposing dunes lay nestled among spectacular rock formations. Excursions from San Pedro take you to the valley floor, where you will receive a brief tutorial before hitting the slopes. (If you don’t speak Spanish, make sure you request an English-speaking guide when you book). Expect to have a few attempts and possibly a bruised backside before you get the hang of it, but once you do, you will feel on top of the world as you zig-zag through the desert.

Stargazing with an astronomer
The Atacama Desert is one of the best places in the world to stargaze. With cloudless desert nights and an absence of light pollution, it’s clear to see why some of the most important observatories on earth are located here. With the naked eye alone you can see thousands of stars and make out the pale mist of the Milky Way.

Located a 15 minute drive from San Pedro, Space offers the best tour for those wanting a deeper insight into the night sky. As you stand under the stars, an astronomer explains what you can see and points out specific planets and galaxies with the help of a laser. You will then get chance to look at them up-close through one of their 10 telescopes. Don’t be surprised if the majestic sight leaves you feeling humbled and keen for a deep and meaningful conversation about our place in the universe.

Floating in Cejar Lagoon
If you fancy ridding yourself of the desert dust, head to the Cejar just south of San Pedro. This small, natural pool contains such large quantities of salt that swimming is virtually impossible. The only option is to lay back and take in the views of the immense Salar de Atacama and the distant Andes; that is, if you can brave the chilly water, which can be a toe-curling 18°C (64°F). Once you are in you can smugly enjoy the shrieks and squeals of fellow travellers as they dip their toes in the icy pool. Factor in time for a shower (there is a block of them on site) before you hop on your tour bus back to town.

Walking through the El Tatio geyser field at dawn
The thought of a 4:30am start and temperatures which can get as low as -15°C (5°F) may not be your idea of fun, but a trip to the El Tatio geysers is well worth it. Heading north out of town, you’ll steadily ascend winding, icy roads into the Andes, where at 4300m you’ll find the highest geyser field in the world.

Walk among dozens of spurting geysers, each marked by a ring of stones, and watch in awe as the sun rises and pierces the clouds of billowing steam. A short drive brings you to a thermal pool where there’s time for a quick dunk before you head back to the tour bus. As you descend through the Andes, keep your eyes peeled for vicunas, the wild ancestor of the domesticated alpaca which are found in the mountains’ grassy plains.

Excursions to all of these experiences can be organised in San Pedro.Tours are given in Spanish or English, with some guides providing commentary in both languages, so check before you book. Bring warm, comfortable clothes and plenty of layers for evenings and early morning starts, as temperatures vary by around 20°C (68°F) between day and night. As San Pedro is the main tourist hub in the area, accommodation isn't as cheap as in many other parts of Chile, so make sure you book in advance to find somewhere that suits your budget.


Sunset over the Salar de Atacama.

The Atacama Desert (Spanish: Desierto de Atacama) is a plateau in South America, covering a 1,000-kilometre (600 mi) strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes mountains. It is the driest non-polar desert in the world.According to estimates the Atacama Desert proper occupies 105,000 square kilometres (41,000 sq mi),or 128,000 square kilometres (49,000 sq mi) if the barren lower slopes of the Andes are included. Most of the desert is composed of stony terrain, salt lakes (salares), sand, and felsic lava that flows towards the Andes.

The World Wide Fund for Nature defines the Atacama Desert ecoregion as extending from a few kilometers south of the Peru–Chile border to about 30° south latitude.The National Geographic Society considers the coastal area of southern Peru to be part of the Atacama Desert and also includes the deserts south of the Ica Region in Peru.

Peru borders it on the north and the Chilean Matorral ecoregion borders it on the south. To the east lies the less arid Central Andean dry puna ecoregion. The drier portion of this ecoregion is located south of the Loa River between the parallel Sierra Vicuña Mackenna and Cordillera Domeyko. To the north of the Loa lies the Pampa del Tamarugal.

The Atacama Desert is commonly known as the driest place in the world, especially the surroundings of the abandoned Yungay town (in Antofagasta Region, Chile).The average rainfall is about 15 mm (0.6 in) per year,although some locations, such as Arica and Iquique, receive 1 to 3 mm (0.04 to 0.12 in) in a year.Moreover, some weather stations in the Atacama have never received rain. Periods of up to four years have been registered with no rainfall in the central sector, delimited by the cities of Antofagasta, Calama and Copiapó, in Chile.Evidence suggests that the Atacama may not have had any significant rainfall from 1570 to 1971.

The Atacama Desert may be the oldest desert on earth, and has experienced extreme hyperaridity for at least 3 million years, making it the oldest continuously arid region on earth. The long history of aridity raises the possibility that supergene mineralisation, under the appropriate conditions, can form in arid environments, instead of requiring humid conditions. Geological research suggests that in some sections of the Atacama Desert, such as in today's Chile, hyperaridity has persisted for the last 200 million years (since the Triassic).

This desert is so arid, many mountains higher than 6,000 m (20,000 ft) are completely free of glaciers. Only the highest peaks (such as Ojos del Salado, Monte Pissis, and Llullaillaco) have some permanent snow coverage.

The southern part of the desert, between 25 and 27°S, may have been glacier-free throughout the Quaternary including during glaciations, though permafrost extends down to an altitude of 4,400 m (14,400 ft) and is continuous above 5,600 m (18,400 ft). Studies by a group of British scientists have suggested that some river beds have been dry for 120,000 years. However, some locations in the Atacama receive a marine fog known locally as the camanchaca, providing sufficient moisture for hypolithic algae, lichens, and even some cacti—the genus Copiapoa is notable among these.

Geographically, the aridity of the Atacama is explained by it being situated between two mountain chains the Andes and the Chilean Coast Range of sufficient height to prevent moisture advection from either the Pacific or the Atlantic Oceans, a two-sided rain shadow.

Although the almost total lack of precipitation is the most prominent characteristic of the Atacama Desert, exceptions may occur. In July 2011, an extreme Antarctic cold front broke through the rain shadow, bringing 80 cm (31 in) of snow to the plateau, stranding residents across the region, particularly in Bolivia, where many drivers became stuck in snow drifts and emergency crews became overtaxed with a large number of rescue calls.

This phenomenon is called the altiplano winter, which can produce a little rain and abundant thunderstorms, and occurs in January and February. In 2012, the altiplano winter brought floods to San Pedro de Atacama.

In a region about 100 km (60 mi) south of Antofagasta, which averages 3,000 m (10,000 ft) in elevation, the soil has been compared to that of Mars. Owing to its otherworldly appearance, the Atacama has been used as a location for filming Mars scenes, most notably in the television series Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets.

In 2003, a team of researchers published a report in the journal Science in which they duplicated the tests used by the Viking 1 and Viking 2 Mars landers to detect life, and were unable to detect any signs in Atacama Desert soil in the region of Yungay. The region may be unique on Earth in this regard, and is being used by NASA to test instruments for future Mars missions. The team duplicated the Viking tests in Mars-like Earth environments and found that they missed present signs of life in soil samples from Antarctic dry valleys, the Atacama Desert of Chile and Peru, and other locales. However, in 2014, a new hyperarid site was reported, María Elena South, which was much drier than Yungay, and thus, a better Mars-like environment.

In 2008, the Phoenix Mars Lander detected perchlorates on the surface of Mars at the same site where water was first discovered.Perchlorates are also found in the Atacama and associated nitrate deposits have contained organics, leading to speculation that signs of life on Mars are not incompatible with perchlorates. The Atacama is also a testing site for the NASA-funded Earth-Mars Cave Detection Program.

In spite of the geographic and climatic conditions of the desert, a rich variety of flora has evolved here. Over 500 species have been gathered within the border of this desert. These species are characterized by their extraordinary ability to adapt to this extreme environment.Most common species are the herbs and flowers such as thyme, llareta, and saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) and, where humidity is sufficient, trees such as the chañar (Geoffroea decorticans), the pimiento tree, and the leafy algarrobo (Prosopis chilensis).

The llareta is one of the highest-growing wood species in the world. It is found at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,000 m (9800 and 16,400 ft). Its dense form is similar to a pillow some 3 to 4 m (10 to 13 ft) thick. It concentrates and retains the heat from the day to cope with low evening temperatures. The growth rate of the llareta has been recently estimated at about 1.5 cm per year, making many llaretas over 3,000 years old. It produces a much-prized resin, which the mining industry once harvested indiscriminately as fuel, making this plant endangered.

The desert is also home to cacti, succulents, and other plants that thrive in a dry climate. Cactus species here include the candelabro (Browningia candelaris) and cardon (Echinopsis atacamensis), which can reach a height of 7 m (23 ft) and a diameter of 70 cm (27 in).

The Atacama Desert flowering (Spanish: desierto florido) can be seen in years with sufficient precipitation from September to November.

The climate of the Atacama Desert limits the number of animals living permanently in this extreme ecosystem. Some parts of the desert are so arid, no plant or animal life can survive. Outside of these extreme areas, sand-colored grasshoppers blend with pebbles on the desert floor, and beetles and their larvae provide a valuable food source in the lomas. Desert wasps and butterflies can be found during the warm and humid season, especially on the lomas. Red scorpions also live in the desert.

A unique environment is provided by some small hills (lomas), where the fog from the ocean provides enough moisture for seasonal plants and a few animal species. Surprisingly few reptile species inhabit the desert and even fewer amphibian species. Chaunus atacamensis, the Vallenar toad or Atacama toad, lives on the lomas, where it lays eggs in permanent ponds or streams. Iguanas and lava lizards inhabit parts of the desert, while salt flat lizards, Liolaemus, live in the dry areas bordering the ocean.One species, Liolaemus fabiani, is endemic to the Salar de Atacama, the Atacama salt flat.

Birds are probably the largest animal group in the Atacama. Humboldt penguins live year-round along the coast, nesting in desert cliffs overlooking the ocean. On salt flats both near the Pacific and inland, Andean flamingos flock to eat algae. Other birds including species of hummingbirds and sparrows visit the lomas seasonally to feed on insects, nectar, seeds, and flowers. The lomas help sustain several threatened species, such as the endangered Chilean woodstar.

Because of the desert’s extreme aridity, only a few specially adapted mammal species live in the Atacama, such as Darwin's leaf-eared mouse. The less arid parts of the desert are inhabited by the South American gray fox and the viscacha a relative of the chinchilla. Larger animals, such as guanacos and vicuñas, graze in areas where grass grows, mainly because it is seasonally irrigated by melted snow. Vicuñas need to remain near a steady water supply, while guanacos can roam into more arid areas and survive longer without fresh water. Seals and sea lions often gather along the coast.

The Atacama is sparsely populated, with most towns located along the Pacific coast.In interior areas, oases and some valleys have been populated for millennia and were the location of the most advanced Pre-Columbian societies found in Chile. These oases have experienced little population growth and urban development. During the 20th century they have had conflicts over water resources with the coastal cities and the mining industry.

San Pedro de Atacama, at about 2,000 metres (7,000 ft) elevation, is like many of the small towns. Before the Inca empire and prior to the arrival of the Spanish, the extremely arid interior was inhabited primarily by the Atacameño tribe. They are noted for building fortified towns called pucarás, one of which is located a few kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama. The town's church was built by the Spanish in 1577.

The coastal cities originated in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries during the time of the Spanish Empire, when they emerged as shipping ports for silver produced in Potosí and other mining centers. During the 19th century the desert came under control of Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. With the discovery of sodium nitrate deposits and as a result of unclear borders the area soon became a zone of conflict and resulted in the War of the Pacific. Chile annexed most of the desert, and cities along the coast developed into international ports, hosting many Chilean workers who migrated there.

With the guano and saltpeter booms of the 19th century the population grew immensely, mostly as a result of immigration from central Chile. In the 20th century the nitrate industry declined and at the same time the largely male population of the desert became increasingly problematic for the Chilean state. Mineworkers and mining companies came into conflict, and protests spread throughout the region.

The Atacama Desert again became a source of wealth from the 1950s onwards, owing to copper mining. The Escondida and Chuquicamata porphyry copper mines are located within the Atacama Desert.

Inhabited towns in the desert include San Pedro de Atacama, Vallenar, and Freirina. In San Pedro de Atacama there is a marketplace for artisanal goods.

The desert has rich deposits of copper and other minerals and the world's largest natural supply of sodium nitrate which was mined on a large scale until the early 1940s. The Atacama border dispute over these resources between Chile and Bolivia began in the 19th century and resulted in the War of the Pacific.

The desert is littered with approximately 170 abandoned nitrate "saltpetre" mining towns, almost all of which were shut down decades after the invention of synthetic nitrate in Germany at the turn of the 20th century see Haber process. The towns include Chacabuco, Humberstone, Santa Laura, Pedro de Valdivia, Puelma, María Elena, and Oficina Anita.

The Atacama Desert is rich in metallic mineral resources such as copper, gold, silver and iron as well as non metallic minerals including important deposits of boron, lithium, sodium nitrate and potassium salts. The Salar de Atacama is a place where bischofite is extracted.These resources are exploited by various mining companies such as Codelco, Lomas Bayas, Mantos Blancos, and Soquimich.

Because of its high altitude, nearly non-existent cloud cover, dry air, and lack of light pollution and radio interference from the very widely spaced cities, this desert is one of the best places in the world to conduct astronomical observations. The European Southern Observatory operates two major observatories in the Atacama:

The La Silla Observatory
The Paranal Observatory, which includes the Very Large Telescope

A new radio astronomy telescope, called ALMA, built by Europe, Japan, the United States, Canada and Chile in the Llano de Chajnantor Observatory officially opened on 3 October 2011.A number of radio astronomy projects, such as the CBI, the ASTE and the ACT, among others, have been operating in the Chajnantor area since 1999.

The Atacama Desert is popular with all-terrain sports enthusiasts. Various championships have taken place here including the Lower Atacama Rally, Lower Chile Rally, Patagonia-Atacama Rally and the latter Dakar Rally's editions. The rally was were organized by the A.S.O. and held in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. The dunes of the desert are ideal rally races located in the outskirts of the city of Copiapo. The 2013 Dakar 15-Day Rally started on January 5 in Lima Peru, through Chile, Argentina and back to Chile finishing in Santiago.Visitors also use the Atacama Desert sand dunes for Sandboarding.

A week-long foot race called the Atacama Crossing is a race in which the competitors cross the various landscapes of the Atacama.

Eighteen solar powered cars were displayed in front of the presidential palace (La Moneda) in Santiago in November 2012.The cars were then raced 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) through the desert from 15–19 November 2012.

Most people who go to tour the sites in the desert stay in the town of San Pedro de Atacama.The Atacama Desert is in the top three tourist locations in Chile. The specially commissioned ESO hotel is reserved for astronomers.

There are geysers 80 km from the town of San Pedro de Atacama. There are about 80 geysers that lie in a valley. They are closer to the town of Chiu Chiu.

Banos de Puritama are rock pools which are 37 miles from the geysers.