Driest Place on Earth: Visiting the Atacama Desert in Chile

Driest Place on Earth: Visiting the Atacama Desert in Chile

The Atacama Desert is the driest place on earth and possibly the oldest desert in the world. We undertake a 30 km bike ride through the dramatic landscape

Our trip to Atacama was much more complicated than expected. Up to this point, the border crossings on our trip had been relatively straightforward, so we were surprised that there was no direct route from Uyuni in Bolivia to Atacama in Chile.

Instead of taking a bus, we had to book a $50 transfer, spend a night in a room that looked almost exactly like a prison cell, take the transfer to the border, pay another $20 to enter the national park, and then take another transfer on the other side. All in all, a trip that could have been completed in nine hours instead took about 24 hours.

When we arrived in San Pedro de Atacama we were buzzing with joy. Finally, after Bolivia's relentless cold and unforgiving altitude, we could now enjoy unbridled sunshine and warmth. Our driver turned to us and grinned. “Más bajo, más caliente,” he said. Lower and hotter, in fact.

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The Atacama Desert is not only wonderfully low, hot and dry, it is actually the driest place on earth. This 1,000 km (600 mile) strip of land along South America's Pacific coast averages about 15 mm (0.6 in) of precipitation per year (compared to 106 mm (4.2 in) in Las Vegas).

Periods of four years without rainfall have been recorded in the central sector, and some weather stations have never received any rain at all. Many of its mountains above 6,000 m are completely free of glaciers, a testament to the region's extreme dryness. In addition, theories suggest that Atacama is the oldest desert in the world. Of course we had to look at it.

We settled into Hotel Takha Takha, a mid-range hotel with a lovely tree-screened campsite. The town of San Pedro is small and charming with one-story adobe houses, unpaved streets and a decent selection of cafes and restaurants. There are a wide range of tour operators to choose from, but we chose to rent bikes and ride on our own.

On the first day we visited the Valle de la Muerte, which gave me time to practice cycling in the intense desert heat. (For those who don't know, I only recently learned to ride a horse.)

Located 3 km from San Pedro, the Valle de la Muerte consists of fascinating red rock formations reminiscent of Turkey’s Cappadocia as well as a series of narrow gorges and 150 m high sand dunes. We spent the day biking, climbing, and watching sandboarders try to stay upright while flying down the dunes.

The next day began with a debate: Can I make the 28 km round trip to Valle de la Luna and back? As I said in 15 Crazy Streets Around the World, Peter has seen me fall off my bike several times over the last six months and is always wary when I suggest I ride beyond my abilities.

We asked several locals about the road to the valley and learned that much of it is flat, but begins to undulate steeply inside the complex. We gathered courage and decided to give it a try.

As feared, the road began to challenge me as we entered the complex proper. After an hour I had to tell Peter to continue without me as I really couldn't stand the scorching heat and steep climbs.

I tried to run after him, but the progress was very slow. After about 30 minutes he returned breathless and exhausted. We decided to stop for our packed lunch and then tackle a nearby cave.

Luckily I took my bike helmet with me; It served me well as I navigated the tight spaces and low ceilings of the cave. After 15 minutes we emerged into a dramatic landscape covered not with snow but with salt. We drank half a liter of water and while baking there on a red rock in the middle of the driest place on earth, we did what we never thought possible: longed for the cold of Bolivia.

Driest Place on Earth: The Essentials

What: Two nights in San Pedro de Atacama, the gateway to the Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth. We rented bikes and went to Valle de la Muerte on the first day (free entry, 3km from town) and to Valle de la Luna on the second day ($3 per person, 14km from town).

You can easily fill a week here with other top sights, including Salar de Atacama (Chile's largest salt pan), El Tatio geysers (spewing hot water), and Lagunas Miscanti and Miñiques (shimmering pools of deep blue water surrounded by white bands of salt). ).

Where: San Pedro de Atacama. We stayed at Hotel Takha Takha, which has a charming campsite with hot showers and ultra-clean facilities ($18 per person per night). The only drawback is the lack of access to the kitchen. We resigned ourselves to defrosting pot noodles with hot water from the coffee machine at reception.

When: Because this is the driest place on earth, the weather rarely changes from month to month. Visit in June for the local Saint's Day festival or in July for the cooler nights.

Like: Oy vey. If you come from Uyuni it won't be easy. You can either take a $35 transfer as described above (includes an overnight stay in a prison-like room, followed by an additional $20 fee for national park entry) or take a bus, which avoids the one-night stay and fee. but leaves at four in the morning.

Contact Cordillera Tours to book your place (near Hotel Julia on Avenida Ferroviaria in Uyuni). Alternatively, you can fly from Santiago to Calama. Book flights via skyscanner.net.

From Calama, you can book a bus (around $5, try Tur Bus), take a shuttle (around $18, try Licancabur), or take a more expensive taxi (between $25 and $35 depending on time). The journey is 100 km long and takes about 90 minutes.

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

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