San Pedro de Atacama, in the Antofagasta region, is northern Chile's most visited nature destination. The town itself is small -built of earth and adobe- but it works as a base for exploring landscapes that combine desert, salt flats and volcanoes above 4,000 meters.
Valley of the Moon
Less than 20 minutes from town, the Valley of the Moon owes its name to a landscape of dunes, rock formations and salt deposits reminiscent of the lunar surface. The best time to visit is sunset, when the light shifts the color of the formations every few minutes.
The Tatio Geysers and salt flats
The Tatio Geysers, one of the highest geothermal fields in the world, are visited at dawn -you'll leave San Pedro around 4am- because the steam looks best in the cold morning air, before the temperature rises. The Atacama Salt Flat, the largest in Chile, is also one of the best places in South America to see flamingos in their natural habitat.
- The altitude (San Pedro sits at 2,400m and several tours climb above 4,000m) can cause altitude sickness: it's worth arriving a day early to acclimatize before demanding excursions.
- Desert nights are extremely cold even in summer: pack warm layers even if it's hot during the day.
- Most excursions (Tatio, Valley of the Moon, salt flats) are booked with local agencies once you're in San Pedro, no need to book them from abroad.
