Atacama Desert: Valle de la Luna

It seems that the tourism industry in each country I visit picks two or three major sights to fly visitors who have only a week to explore. The two places in Chile are Torres del Paine National Park and the Atacama Desert. Missing are a slew of gentler, lesser-known places that I have loved, such as the island of Chiloe. (I wrote about it in my first trip to Chile.)

The Atacama Desert is a wild and beautiful place, with little water, high altitudes, and a variety of interesting altiplano plants and animals. The indigenous people who live there are the Likanantaí. They are the stewards of the lands that I visited with my tours, charging admission to each major stop, and watching over the innumerable visitors.

Remember the NY Times article a few months ago about huge lithium deposits that were found in northern Chile? Well, this is where they were found—in the fragile reserves in the region. The rights to mine were sold by the Chilean government to a U.S. company, and all hell will break loose in 2030. You need must get to the Atacama soon, as much will be lost—especially in the salt flats you’ll see in my upcoming posts.

These pictures show my first excursion.Read more