The dryest desert on earth is a surreal and otherworldly place.
Luminous pink flamingos wade in jewel-blue lagoons surrounded by shimmering salt flats, while on the horizon snow glistens atop pastel mountains of purple, ochre, and chocolate.
The constant, fantastic juxtaposition of lush and parched, effervescent and muted, harsh and delicate, is what makes the Atacama Desert of Chile, and the handful of days my husband Carl and I spent exploring it, stand out so brilliantly and dream-like in my memories.
The pastel-colored stratovolcanoes of the Andean Central Volcanic Zone create the border between Chile, Bolivia, Argentina and Peru, along which runs the Atacama Desert. Less than a fourth of an inch of rain falls there a year, an effect created by its location between the Chilean Costal Range and the towering Andes, which block moisture from both the nearby Pacific Ocean and the farther Atlantic Ocean.
The cool, high-altitude climate and lack of rain make the dazzling biological wonders of the landscape all the more stunning and memorable. The “fog oases” or “lomas” tucked in between the folds of the mountain’s side, are as surprising to see as they are rich in biodiversity.
The highlight of our trip was the harrowing two-hour, 50-mile road trip to see the sunrise at the Tatio geysers. Weaving up and around the narrow dirt roads, lit only by endless stars, to the geyser field was utterly terrifying but worth it for a truly once-in-a-lifetime sunrise.
A profound experience, the sun rising over the peaks illuminates the vast field of geothermal features one-by-one, creating a changing kaleidoscope of effusive colors in the rising steam. Each geothermal features a unique mix of superheated gases, and its location relative to the rising sun gives it a smell and a color scheme all its own, which can last for minutes or just a few heart beats. The drive down in the morning is just as enchanting as wildlife and unique landscapes appeared and disappeared around every bend.
On other days, we explored the growing town of San Pedro de Atacama and the diversity of desert and high-plateau landscapes in this part of northern Chile. We drove our trusty, 4-WD Toyota Hilux hundreds of miles, passing herds of domesticated llamas and alpacas in small indigenous villages. We also explored the hard-baked salt flats of the Reserva Nacional los Flamencos, hiked by the pastel peaks and calypso-colored lagoons of the Miscanti and Miñiques volcanoes, and toured the Valle de la Mars and Valle de la Luna, each known for their striking rock, salt and clay formations. At night, we laid on our adobe rooftop and gazed awestruck into the endless cosmos that swirled above us.