Let me first just say that of all the ethereal places I’ve been in the world, this was one of the most shimmering. The Atacama is the driest place on earth, other than the Poles. It receives less than 1 millimeter of precipitation each year, and some areas haven’t seen a drop of rain in more than 500 years.
Forget “photo-worthy” or “memorable.” The landscapes here inspired Salvador Dalí (the guy who painted those melting clocks). These are places that so resemble the moon they’re used to test lunar missions.
Peaks stretch so high they’re said to be the birthplace of the Inca Sun God. These are lands of flamingos, bright red lagoons, and 12,000-square-kilometer stretches of nothing but 25-meter-deep salt.
Lands of geysers, natural hot springs, volcanoes, llamas, and those desert lands so dry they've been rainless for five centuries. And of course, all of this is happening two to three miles above sea level. Not even Denver, Colorado — The Mile High City — comes close.
But before we get too far into all that, let’s put ourselves on the map.
Where Is the Atacama Desert?
The Atacama calls four different countries home: southern Peru, northern Chile and Argentina, and southwestern Bolivia. It is part of a South American region called the altiplano, or high plateau, within the Andes Mountains.
These are the mountains that boast wonders from Machu Picchu to Mt. Aconcagua, the highest peak outside of Asia. Clearly, the region has all the makings of something magical.
What Is the Highest Desert in the World?
You’ve probably guessed it: the Atacama.
Within the Andes, nestled between its eastern and western ranges, lies the altiplano. Its base elevation is 3,800 meters (12,500 feet), and the mountains rise from there, many to well over 6,000 meters (19,685 feet).
For perspective, the tallest mountain in the continental U.S. — California’s Mt. Whitney — reaches 4,400 meters (14,500 feet). In other words, most of the altiplano starts at an elevation where many other mountains end (outside of the Himalayas, at least).
Improbable — and Incredible — Life in the Atacama
A good bit of the Atacama Desert lies in Bolivia. Which brings us back to the Salvador Dalí landscapes. And how one day I found myself in the middle of them, lips cracked from the desert winds, absentmindedly sucking on a large wad of anti-altitude sickness coca leaves, wondering to myself, “How did I get here again?”
Here’s the thing: it gets weird that high up in the air. Before this trip, I had been to elevations of 12,000+ feet, but only for a few hours at a time. You hike up, hang out at the top enough time to eat a snack and snap some pictures, and then you go back down to sanity.
This time, however, I spent almost two full weeks above 11,500 feet. A few notes on what makes it so unique:
- Not many other living beings are up there. It was mostly llamas, vicuñas and alpacas (llama cousins), flamingos, quinoa plants, and our little hodgepodge group of travelers, asking serious questions about the feasibility of sustained life in so harsh an environment. High altitude, winds of over 100 kilometers per hour, frigid desert nights, active volcanoes, and sometimes complete lack of annual rainfall — it's not exactly a place that beckons life.
- The air is oh-so-thin. When I stepped off the plane into El Alto, Bolivia, at 13,600 feet, my first thought was “I think we forgot to finish the descent. Can I get a pressurized cabin up in here?” Luckily, I skirted severe altitude sickness but did have a few splitting headaches. Word to the wise: drink all the coca leaf tea you possibly can.
- The landscapes get bonkers. And this, of course, is why we endure points 1 and 2. It truly was spectacular.
Which brings us to the good stuff.
Is the Atacama Desert Worth Visiting?
Visiting a landscape like this desert promises an experience like no other. Let me share a few snippets of our trip that prove why you should visit the Atacama.
Isla del Sol
A little lick of heaven sprouting up at 4,000 meters in the middle of the highest navigable lake in the world, Isla del Sol looks like some resplendent cross of Ireland and Bali. It straddles the border between Bolivia and Peru, on the northern end of the altiplano.
As legend goes, the Inca considered this place the center of the cosmos and the origin of their civilization. The sun, moon, and stars were fashioned from islands in the lake, and this particular island was the birthplace of the sun god himself.
To get here, we took a three-day/two-night trip with Salty Desert, one of the many available tour agencies. Going with a group is somewhat unavoidable, but also highly advisable, as the altiplano is quite remote and harsh. Even the groups travel in caravans of three jeeps in case of flat tires or disorientation in a remarkably vast and often featureless landscape.
Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve
This was our last stop in Bolivia before continuing into the Chilean portion of the altiplano. We spent two days driving through endless desert and its otherworldly sights, our bodies feeling properly dwarfed by Mother Earth and as accustomed to 5,000-meter altitude as they will likely ever be in our lifetimes.
This reserve extends to the Chilean border and the edge of the Atacama Desert. Here, you can choose to return to Uyuni or continue south to San Pedro de Atacama. I recommend the latter!
Chile has its own wealth of stunning landscapes filled with harsh deserts, lush vineyards, active volcanoes, and endless stretches of coast, but we’ll leave all that for another story.
Travel Insurance for Altitude Sickness and Other Mishaps
Whether you are planning a relaxing getaway or seeking an adventurous escape to the Atacama, having travel insurance is essential. Not only can travel insurance protect the money you spend for your trip — a must-have for traveling on a budget — but it can also cover medical expenses if you get sick or hurt during your trip.
You wouldn’t be the first person to get altitude sickness in places like the Atacama Desert, and our Assist Team has coordinated more than a few emergency medical evacuations for just that reason.
Explore your coverage options at SevenCorners.com or talk to a licensed agent. You deserve to travel well, and Seven Corners can help you be ready when trip happens.
Contributors
Fulbright Scholar Kimberly Collins was the lead writer for this article. Editorial assistance provided by Becky Hart.
