Atacama Desert

One of the most spectacular and rare landscapes on earth, the thinly populated Atacama is the driest desert in the world. Flanked by Pacific coastal ranges on one side and the snowcapped peaks of the Andes on the other, Atacama is a series of salt basins that support virtually no vegetation.

It's dry, it's barren and it's empty, but the scenery is exceptional! The "moon like" surface of the Atacama is beyond anyone's fancy. Apart from the stunnig landscape, adventurers are plased with the sight of llamas, herds of sheep and goats and flamingos. There are numerous oases, old mines and deserted mining towns to be discovered.

San Pedro is one of the most popular destinations here. Explore this placid oasis of adobe houses at the edge of the Salar de Atacama or the Salt Lakes of Atacama and hit the "gringo trail". Surrounding the village are immense volcanoes, most of which are extinct.

The desert is a major attraction for archaeologists. The rainless conditions have left a wealth of intact history behind. Temperatures are mostly comfortable year round, except at the higher elevations bordering the Andes where it can get quite cold.