Valle de la Luna

Introduction

Moon Valley lies in the Atacama Desert—the driest desert on Earth—about fifteen kilometers from the town of San Pedro, and is the most classic and unmissable sight of the Atacama. Shaped over millions of years by wind and water erosion, this desert of salt and rock forms a strange, surreal landscape: rolling dunes, jagged cliffs, salt-crystal-covered white valleys, deep canyons and bizarre stone forests, whose colors and textures resemble the surface of the Moon or Mars, giving it its name. Almost barren and utterly silent, it radiates a desolate yet magnificent loneliness. Moon Valley is most famous for its sunset—as the sun dips, the dunes and cliffs are dyed gold, ochre and even violet, shifting with the light, against the backdrop of the distant Andean volcanoes, a breathtaking scene. Arriving by car or bike, you climb the dune viewpoint and wait for this light-and-shadow feast; Moon Valley is the most soul-stirring experience of the Atacama Desert.

✨ Highlights

🛈 Practical Info