Antofagasta Region
The heart of Chile's Atacama Desert, with the Valley of the Moon, salt flats, geysers and some of the world's best stargazing.
Antofagasta Region lies in northern Chile and covers the core of the Atacama Desert; its capital, Antofagasta, is a coastal port city. The highland town of San Pedro de Atacama is the main base for visitors, surrounded by the Valley of the Moon, the Atacama Salt Flat, the El Tatio geysers and high-altitude lagoons, and you can join astronomy stargazing tours. The "Hand of the Desert" sculpture is another well-known landmark. The climate is extremely dry and the region can be visited year-round, but at high altitude be prepared for big day–night temperature swings and altitude sickness. Calama Airport is the gateway to San Pedro.
Destinations
Itineraries
- Uyuni to Atacama via High-Altitude Lagoons – Cross the salt flats, Laguna Colorada, and Laguna Verde by off-road vehicle, and enter the Chilean desert via the Hito…
- Bolivia Classic Highlands Panorama – From La Paz to Isla del Sol, then via the White City and Silver City to Uyuni and the high-altitude lagoons
- Elqui Valley Stargazing & Atacama Desert Tour – Go stargazing and wine tasting in the Elqui Valley from La Serena, then fly north to explore salt flats, highland lagoo…
- Tupiza Canyons and Sur Lípez to Uyuni – Depart from the red canyons, take the southern route across the lagoons by off-road vehicle, and arrive at the salt fla…
- Grand Chile North-to-South Classic – From deserts and port cities to the Lake District and Torres del Paine, covering the highlights of Chile with three dom…