The Atacama Desert

Northern Chile is home to the world’s most arid desert and its salt flats, hot springs and geysers as well as large deposits of copper and other minerals and mines in Chuquicamata, Calama and other parts of the High Andean plateau. It is inhabited by some of the country’s native people. Both Incan and Spanish influences can be seen in villages and religious festivities, which attract visitors throughout the year.

Your visit to spots like San Pedro de Atacama will allow you to admire valuable vestiges of native cultures at archeological sites and museums. Coastal cities like Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, Coquimbo and La Serena will delight you with their beaches and warm, temperate climate. However, winter in the desert is another story as the temperature can go as low as 7ºC at night and as high as 26ºC during the day.

While northern Chile is known for its mining, it’s also home to a number of astronomical observatories. The most impressive – Cerro Paranal and the Alma Project –confirm the region’s status as a land of magical discovery.