Atacama Desert photo trips and wildlife safaris. San Pedro de Atacama tours and travel. Our portfolio of nature and wildlife trips including visits to spectacular locations such as Laguna Chaxa, Valle de la Luna, Lagunas Miscanti and Meñiques, Valle del Arcoiris, El Tatio Geysers, Salar de Talar, among several others. We also offer options to explore the coastal Atacama Desert to discover its wealth of flora including dramatic cacti and many flowering plants; the coast of the desert is affected by the cold Humboldt Current which is one of the most productive ocean regions. Here you will see cetaceans, penguins and many seabirds.
The Atacama Desert is Chile’s largest covering 5% of Chile’s territory with its 13,900 square miles (36,000 sq. km.). The Atacama Desert lies in the arid zone of western South America, spreading from 15ºS, in southern Peru, down to 30ºS near the city of La Serena in Chile. Many of the world’s largest deserts including the Kalahari and the Great Desert of Australia also occur at this latitude in the Tropic of Capricorn. The huge Atacama Salt Pan is situated between 23º41’S and 68º33’W, at an altitude of 7,560 feet above sea level (f.a.s.l.) (2,305 meters).
The Atacama is considered the most arid desert of the planet. Skies here remain clear over 300 days a year and in some areas no records of rainfall exist. Stretching along the western slope of the Andes Range, the desert is divided into three areas by altitude. The Inner Desert Area consists of the plateau situated between the Coastal and the Andean mountain ranges. Atacama Desert Photo Trips and Wildlife Safaris.
What’s So Special About the Atacama Desert? Learn more
