Why Go to Mars When There’s Chile’s Otherworldly Atacama Desert?

The driest place on Earth has pink mountains, pink flowers, and pink flamingos.

There are two property in this world where you could get extinct volcanoes , utmost aridness , and fluvial landforms that carve recondite gorges and deep red canyon : Mars and the Atacama Desert inChile . A place where NASA scientiststest their roversbefore sending them to the Red Planet , the Atacama Desert is an otherworldly , sparsely populated area that spans 100,000 straight kilometers , extending from Chile into Peru , Bolivia , and Argentina . The desert is so vast that the Chilean stretch alone take to the woods throughfiveof the country ’s sixteen regions .

good part ? Dozens of sacred sites in this desert have been turn into interior Park and reserve , protected by the state for their historic and scientific economic value — and are undecided to visitant . These ballpark let in a flamingo reserve ( Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos ) in the Antofagasta land and the soon - to - openFlowering Desert Park(officially calledParque Desierto Florido ) in the low Atacama neighborhood of the desert .

The Atacama Desert is a sacred and valued seat for the Indigenous communities , which includeAtacameños(Lickan Antay),Aymara , andDiaguitapeople . When Los Flamenco ’s reserve was founded in 1990 , it was the first in the country to beco - managed by the state and Indigenous peoples . The community stipulate principle , routes , and opening hours , which are loyally maintain by any believable tour agencies go in the region .

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Historically , this desert served as an important trading hub for hereditary cultures crossing the continent hundreds of class ago , which add to the timeless , spiritual feel of the Atacama . Many ancient relics , including prehistoric geoglyphs and petroglyphs , can still be seen among the rocky sand dune and looming volcanoes .

The picturesque haven small town San Pedro de Atacamais the most popular base for tourist visit the Los Flamencos reserve , who will need several days to best search the seven sections of the73,986 hectare orbit . Whereas travelers hop to see Flowering Desert park will want to contrive a separate stop in the southern Atacama region . Here ’s what you demand to know to see either the flamingo or desert flower parks in Chile ’s Atacama Desert .

The Insanely Beautiful South American Country That Blew Me Away

How to get to Los Flamencos and the Flowering Desert Park

While NASAdescribes Atacama Desert as “ inhospitable”for microorganisms , conditions are gratefully much more welcoming for travelers : the most pop website of Los Flamencos reserve areeasily accessible by carand there are plenty of tour agencies pop the question transport and guide software system .

To reach San Pedro de Atacama , fly directly to Calama airport , El Loa . Several airlines offer direct flight legion time a day from Chile ’s capital , Santiago , to El Loa . price go as low as $ 50 - 100 USD roundtrip when booked before of fourth dimension .

From there , traveler can reserve a two - hourshuttle rideto the town ; the meretricious , shared birdie only leaves when the van is full . Reserve before to forfend wait metre . hitch agencies are establish on and around the independent Carcoles street in San Pedro de Atacama , and it ’s best to visit the ones in place rather than buying tickets from street sellers .

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To get to the Flowering Desert , visitant must pilot to Coquimbo from Santiago . The close towns let in Caldera , Copiapó , Huasco , Freirina , and Vallenar .

This commons is a bit more off the tourist track — and remember , the flush event only occurs after the rarified opportunity of a rainy wintertime in literally the driest place on Earth . As the park is set to have an expansive control surface area of57,111 hectares , it ’s recommend to rent a car and check where the rosiness is set to fall out to best decide your route .

Hang out with flamingoes and guanacos of the altiplano

It ’s probably passably easy to hazard the star animate being attractor of a place called Los Flamencos reserve , correct ? Yup , herds of flamingo can be found perch by the several salinity flat tire in the area , feeding on the microsize shrimp that emblazon the striking hues of their feathers .

The flamingo can be found in the Chaxa Lagoon , which is at the Salar de Atacama sphere of the reserve and higher up into the mount in the Lagunas Miscante - Miñiques sphere . The Chaxa lagoon is about 7,500 foot above sea stage , while Miñiques is at an elevation of 13,500 feet . If unaccustomed to heights , it ’s typical to feel woozy and nauseous . verify you are well - hydrated and take your time . Entrances to each sector must be bought separately .

It ’s a mesmerise journey , where chain of snow - capped volcano — both combat-ready and extinct — crowd around salty lagoons , watching over the flamingo as they banquet . These elegant wench are n’t the only fascinating fauna that cast the area : llama- and camel - relatedguanacotrot across the desiccated knit stitch , with endemic foxes and rodent species flit amongst the rocks and shrubbery .

The Insanely Beautiful South American Country That Blew Me Away

unluckily , rage up lithium mining in the sector has drain the precious H2O sources that these animals bank upon , andflamingo numbers racket are decliningas a result . Lithium is critical to the batteries that power galvanizing cars , laptop computer , and smartphones , and while electric force is celebrated as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel , it ’s the Atacama wildlife paying the price . While the reserve is open twelvemonth - orotund , flamingo are also migratory , so it ’s not undertake you ’ll see them . The skilful time of the twelvemonth to go is between September and March .

Travel to space and touch the stars

You wo n’t need to compensate a premium to Elon Musk for this space dangerous undertaking : the Atacama Desert has its very own lunar month valley , La Valle de la Luna . The vale is mark by furrowed , bumpy cliffs and towering common salt dune , framed by a range of Salt Mountains . wide of the mark , rotary dips in the landscape painting are resonant of craters , while otherworldly rock formation tote up to the lunar feel of the place .

The Valle de la Luna is the sixth sector of the Reserva Nacional de Los Flamencos and is one of the most accessible sites , a short 9 mile drive from San Pedro de Atacama . This expansive expanse was used for salt mining in the early twentieth century , but the families who owned the mines find alternatives for higher quality minerals elsewhere and pull up stakes it abandoned . In 1982 , it was deemed a national protect site for its funny geological formations and unique ecosystem .

The tough landscape of the Moon Valley is n’t the only connexion the Atacama Desert has with space : the Chilean desert also gasconade the earthly concern ’s clearest skies . There are several observatory around San Pedro de Atacama , which can be book through tour of duty agency line the town ’s Caracoles street .

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One experience that stands out includes the Observatorio Etno - Astronomico Licantay , which explicate how Indigenous communities relate to the skies and how stargazing was and continues to be a cardinal part of ancestral beliefs . For astronomy enthusiasts , ALMA — the world ’s most powerful telescope — is open to visitor on the weekend . Just make trusted to reserve forwards of time .

Pro tip : If you schedule your trip during the young moon , you ’ll feel closer than ever to the champion here .

See the desert in bloom

Want to find interminable fields of blossom in the human beings ’s driest desert ? Yes , it bloom - wellispossible and the incoming Parque Desierto Florido will be the place to see it . Seeds institute by birds , winds , and other wildlife can repose torpid for over a decennary , preserved in the desert ’s cool temperature . All it require is one showery winter to make them shoot up come spring .

However , generate the scarceness of rainfall in the area , the inflorescence desert occur periodically , more or less every five to ten years . In the last twenty years , super blooms have happened in 2002 , 2011 , 2015 , 2017 and 2022 . While the creation of the Flowering Desert park is underway , which will provide walk road and tourist kiosks as well as protect the zone for inquiry and preservation purpose , any visits should be planned for 2026 onwards — and even then , it really depends on the climatic weather of the twelvemonth .

On the off - opportunity that another bloom will materialize ahead of time and before the official opening of the Flowering Desert Park , the Llanos de Challe National Parkis another option nearby to see the phenomenon .

Nayara Alto Atacama

Nayara Alto Atacama

See This Chilean Desert Filled with More Than 200 Species of Flowers

The Atacama is set to become the country’s 44th national park.

Where to stay in the Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama has hatful of fitting options that are for chaffer Los Flamencos stockpile . For those wanting a more intimate link to the stars above , theAtacama Lodgeis a mid - range alternative that specializes in astronomical experiences . Whereas theNayara Alto Desertis a luxuriousness option with private tour guides and a professional on - internet site telescope . There are also plenty of hostels at affordable price : boutique hostelLa Casa de Joséhas a endearing terrace overlooking the breathless Licancabur vent , and it includes an abundant breakfast spreading and relaxing kitty area . While the desert is a place of eternal spring , the quick temperature for poolside chilling can be found in December through March .

visitor hop to enchant a coup d’oeil of the Flowering Desert can base themselves in Coquimbo . While it ’s not much of a tourer town ( yet ? ) , the urban center has plenty of Airbnb choices , as well as constitute Ibis chains for budget hotel options . For something a bit off - the - power grid , coastal town like Caldera offerbeachside cabinsand family - run inn with ocean - survey .