Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert spans the Andean altiplano and coastal cordillera of northern Chile, widely regarded as the driest non-polar desert on Earth. The town of San Pedro de Atacama serves as the main base, within reach of the Valle de la Luna's eroded clay and salt formations, the Tatio geysers erupting at dawn above 4,300 metres, and the pink flamingo colonies of the Salar de Atacama salt flat. The extreme aridity and altitude produce some of the clearest night skies in the world, attracting major astronomical observatories and astrotourism.