The 4 most beautiful places in the Atacama Desert

Petra has previously written about her visit to the extraordinary Nayara Alto Atacama hotel. Not only the accommodation, but also the surroundings of the Atacama Desert – the driest place on earth – are breathtaking. In this blog, Petra takes you to the most beautiful spots in this region.

1. Cacti several metres tall

​After a delicious lunch, we’re taken to the cactus valley on the banks of the Puritama River. We walk past cacti that are over six metres tall – impressive! We’ve never seen anything like this before, and our guide tells us that he still enjoys this walk just as much. The landscape is so beautiful and varied – it’s almost surreal. We carry on walking and see the snow-capped volcanoes in the distance, surrounded by steep cliffs and gigantic cacti. We also see cacti that have now dried out and are sometimes used as firewood by the local people. The guide explains that the cacti constantly grow new branches to keep themselves upright. After the walk, we head back to the hotel. We’re well in time to freshen up before dinner. A buffet dinner is waiting for us this evening.

2. Active geysers at an altitude of 4,300 metres

​We go to bed early, as we have to get up at the crack of dawn the next morning to visit the El Tatio geysers. In the cold morning air, the steam rising from the geysers is most visible, making for some special photo opportunities. We’re wrapped up warm, as the geysers are situated at an altitude of over 4,300 metres. Once we arrive at the geysers, we first take a warm bath in one of the natural thermal pools. It’s a bit of a struggle to brave the biting wind in our swimwear. Even more unpleasant is leaving the warm bath and shivering in the cold on the way to the changing room, but we’re more than happy to put up with it for this wonderful experience. Once we’ve put our warm clothes back on, we walk back to the car, where our guide has meanwhile prepared a delicious breakfast. The sun is slowly rising and we enjoy the beautiful views.

​The area comprises no fewer than 40 geysers and a number of mud pools. It is a remarkable sight to see the steam and boiling water swirling and spouting from the geysers. The distinctive sulphurous smell from the geysers is very noticeable here. After seeing several geysers and listening to our guide’s explanation of the area, we walk back to the car. On the way back in the car, we spot an Andean fox, lying there basking in the first rays of sunshine. We stop to look at a viscacha – an animal that looks like a cross between a mouse and a hare – and come across a shepherdess walking through the arid landscape with her herd of llamas and dogs. Our guide gives her some of our leftover breakfast; it’s not easy to survive in this area. Finally, we make another stop at a lake where flamingos are probing the ground with their beaks in search of food.

3. Impressive salt flats

In the late afternoon, we set off once more to visit the salt flats of San Pedro de Atacama. This is perhaps the highlight of a destination full of highlights, both literally and figuratively. Once again, we’ll be travelling through the desert landscape in a 4x4. We’ll follow, at a safe distance, the line of volcanoes that border the plateau. The peaks tower so high above the horizon that it’s hard to realise that, on this flat land, we’re actually at an altitude of just under 3,000 metres.
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Over the course of millions of years, the plateau has been pushed upwards by unimaginable geological forces. In some places, the former sea was lifted and slowly dried up. What remains now is a thick white layer of salts and minerals, partly covered by a film of rainwater. It may sound like a meagre remnant, but the sight is astonishingly imposing. After driving for a while, the salt flat looms up before us. A dazzling white expanse with a mirror-like surface of water reflecting the row of snow-capped volcanoes behind us. This gives us, as it were, a double horizon. Like children, we walk enthusiastically along the path beside the salt flat, discovering an even more beautiful spot at every turn.

4. The most colourful sunset we’ve ever seen

When our guide tells us that he can tell from the clouds that today’s sunset is going to be a beauty, we’re not particularly impressed. Surely it can’t get much more beautiful than it already is? But then the sunset begins. Slowly, the sun sinks below the horizon and clouds drift by, causing the colours of the sky to change constantly. It is without a doubt one of the most colourful sunsets we’ve ever seen. We take a moment to enjoy everything happening around us. What a way to round off our stay in the Atacama. And as if that weren’t enough, our guide sets up a picnic table with little nibbles and delicious wines – what a treat! We both smile at each other and my friend Paul says;

​“I’ve often got goosebumps when listening to beautiful music – a single note or a high note that cuts right through your soul – but this is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I’ve never felt this way about a view before. The colours shift from blue, green and red to purple, and everything in between. It’s not just the clouds; the mountains, the water and even the birds are extraordinary. Like a masterful symphony, this splendour of colour is rounded off by a golden glow. Our trip has already been a success!”

​The following morning, our stay at Nayara Alto Atacama comes to an end. We carry on our journey with a wonderful travel experience under our belts, yet also with the feeling that we would have liked to have stayed here longer. Our next adventure is on the agenda: the Bolivian highlands.