The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is the world’s driest. Since any place that can be described with an adjective that ends in -est is usually worth a gander, I stopped by.
The adobe-teeming pueblo San Pedro de Atacama is the only oasis for miles and miles, so it is where most people call home as they plot daily adventures through the barren, beautiful desert. The local highlight is easily the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon), which earns that name with its abundant extraterrestrial landscapes. Local companies offer tours or you could drive through in a rental car, but the valley is best seen while cycling through on a bike (which you can rent cheaply in town to make the 32 kilometer round trip).
The other nearby location of note is the Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley). It is bleak, arid, salt-crusted and lovely.
It is also where most travelers try sandboarding, which is essentially snowboarding down a dune. I have a wack knee and wasn’t eager to have a third surgery in a desert hospital, so I abstained, but a few new friends shredded some sand after we biked over.
Here is a short video of the sandboarding highlights set to a tune that should be enjoyed by anyone who likes fish and grits and all that pimp shit.
