Valle de la Luna and the Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert is a plateau in South America that stretches for 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) along the Pacific coast, west of the Andes Mountains. According to estimates, the Atacama Desert proper covers 105,000 square kilometers (41,000 square miles), or 128,000 square kilometers (49,000 square miles) when the desolate lower Andes slopes are included. The vast majority of the desert is made up of rocky terrain, salt lakes (salares), sand, and felsic lava flowing towards the Andes.

The Valle de la Luna acquired its name from its resemblance to the moon's surface. It is located about 30 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama and features some beautiful sand and stone formations with a stunning texture and hue that resembles the moon surface.There are several dry lakes where the salt content at the surface creates a white coating that resembles the moon's surface.

• Location: Salt Mountain Range.
• Duration recommended: Approximately 4 hours.
• Altitude: 2264 masl.
• Route: 38 kms.