AllFrontierGlobalAll countries ↗

Atacama

Earth's driest and most alien landscape

Curated by Vinod Kumar Jain & Amit Jain · All Frontier Global · free, no login · reviewed 2026-07-05

The journal

Nothing prepared me for the silence of the Atacama at night — no wind, no insects, just the crunch of my own boots on salt flats older than memory. A local astronomer set up his telescope for a handful of us, and I saw Saturn's rings for the first time, sharp as if drawn with a pen.

Things to do

Salar de Atacama · Salt flats

Vast salt flats in the world's driest desert, dotted with lagoons and flamingos amid surreal geometric crusts. Best: May–Sep

Valle de la Luna · Valley

Surreal valley with colorful rock formations, dramatic canyons, and otherworldly geology sculpted by wind and time. Best: May–Sep

El Tatio Geysers · Geothermal site

High-altitude geyser field with steaming hot springs creating misty geothermal spectacles at dawn. Best: May–Sep

Altiplanic Lagoons · High altitude lakes

Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons shimmer deep blue against volcanic peaks on the high Andean plateau. Best: May–Sep

Licancabur Volcano · Viewpoint

Accessible 5,916m peak offering sunrise views over salt flats. Best: Apr–Oct

Arrival

Airport
El Loa Airport (Calama) (CJC) — ~100 km / 1.5 hr transfer to San Pedro de Atacama.
SIM / data
Buy a SIM in Santiago first; Calama/San Pedro limited.
Money on arrival
Withdraw pesos in Calama; San Pedro ATMs charge high fees.

Daily costs

Backpacker/day
$28
Mid/day
$52
Comfort/day
$95
Rent (1BR)
$400–650

Desert tourist markup

← SantiagoPatagonia →

← Chile profile