Five lesser-known ways to experience the Atacama Desert

The Atacama often feels less like a desert and more like another planet; indeed, organisations such as NASA have long used its landscapes to test equipment destined for Mars. Yet beyond the famous geysers, salt flats, flamingo-filled lagoons and Moon Valley lies a side of the Atacama that many visitors never discover.

For us, the real magic of the Atacama lies beyond its headline attractions. These are the experiences that reveal a deeper understanding of the desert and the people who call it home.

1. The High Andes

At 2,400m above sea level, San Pedro de Atacama already sits 1,000 metres higher than Ben Nevis (or at the same height as Pikes Peak for American readers). Most visitors notice the altitude only when ‘accidentally’ tackling a staircase a bit too fast, but venturing into the High Andes is an altogether different proposition. Here, roads climb to around 4,500m and the landscape takes on an almost surreal quality.

There is nowhere else quite like it. This is one of the youngest and most geologically active regions on earth, where snow-capped volcanoes dominate the horizon and vast plains stretch towards distant mountain ranges. As you travel across the Puna and Altiplano, you enter a landscape that somehow feels both monochromatic and intensely colourful at the same time. Lagoons shimmer beneath impossibly blue skies, pink flamingos feed in the shallows and herds of vicuñas graze among grasses dotted with tiny wildflowers.

At dawn, the first rays of sunlight illuminate the volcanoes and the entire landscape seems to shift colour by the minute. Exploring this region with a specialist guide adds another layer entirely, bringing to life the geological forces that created this dramatic landscape and explaining why it continues to evolve today. It is a scene that feels both prehistoric and futuristic, and a reminder that the Atacama is far more than a desert.

2. Vallecito

For decades, Moon Valley has been the poster child of the Atacama. Its sweeping dunes, sculpted rock formations and brilliant white salt deposits are undeniably spectacular. Yet increasing visitor numbers and necessary conservation measures mean that the experience is no longer quite as remote as it once was.

For those seeking a quieter alternative, we often recommend Vallecito. Located south of San Pedro, this lesser-known region offers many of the same geological wonders but receives only a fraction of the visitors.

Exploring Vallecito with a geologist brings the landscape to life. You begin to understand how tectonic forces, wind and the occasional rainfall have shaped this environment over millions of years. The smallest amount of rain can dramatically transform the terrain, creating fleeting changes that may disappear within days. You will also discover the “Magic Bus” of the Atacama and hear its origin story.

The best time to visit is late afternoon, when the softer light accentuates the textures and colours of the landscape. An afternoon here is best rounded off with sundowners on the salt flats as the mountains slowly turn shades of copper, violet and gold.

3. Stargazing beneath some of the clearest skies on earth

No list of Atacama experiences would be complete without stargazing. However, how you do it makes all the difference.

Many visitors are drawn to the region’s famous observatories, and these can certainly be fascinating for those interested in astronomy and engineering. Yet some of the most memorable evenings happen far from the large facilities.

Instead, we often arrange private experiences in the desert with expert astrophysicists and photographers. As darkness settles and the moon disappears below the horizon, the sky reveals itself in astonishing detail. Constellations emerge, the Milky Way stretches from horizon to horizon and distant galaxies become visible through powerful telescopes.

The best guides seamlessly move between local legends, black holes, white dwarfs and the latest discoveries from deep space, translating concepts that can feel impossibly complex into stories that are both entertaining and accessible. By the end of the evening, most guests leave with a completely different perspective on the scale of the universe.

Including a photographer not only helps capture that perfect image beneath the Milky Way, but also provides an opportunity to learn a few tricks of the trade, whether you are shooting on a smartphone or a professional camera.

4. Wine and food in the desert

Wine is probably not the first thing that springs to mind when you think of the Atacama. Yet hidden within a series of small oases are pioneering producers creating wines that could only come from this corner of Chile.

One of the most interesting initiatives is the Ayllu collective, a cooperative of local growers and winemakers who are reviving traditional agricultural practices while experimenting with new approaches. Their vineyards bear little resemblance to the neat rows found elsewhere in the country. Instead, vines grow alongside pomegranates, lemons, quince and ancient trees, with every precious drop of water carefully managed.

The wines themselves are equally distinctive. Petit Verdot and Malbec have adapted surprisingly well to the desert climate, while the collective’s Naranjo wines offer something entirely different – textured, aromatic and deeply expressive of their surroundings. Production remains small, but these bottles are steadily gaining recognition far beyond the Atacama.

Food tells a similar story. While much of what is consumed in the region arrives from elsewhere, a handful of farmers and cooks are championing traditional crops and indigenous ingredients. Spending time with the people behind these projects offers a fascinating glimpse into contemporary desert life and reveals a side of the Atacama that many visitors never encounter.

5. The petroglyphs of the Atacama

Against a backdrop of volcanoes and vast open plains, it can be easy to forget that people have called the Atacama home for thousands of years. Yet evidence of these ancient cultures can be found across the region for those who know where to look.

Heading west from San Pedro into the Domeyko Mountains, the landscape initially appears empty. Then, hidden amongst the red rocks, intricate petroglyphs begin to emerge. Some are believed to be nearly 10,000 years old and depict hunters, camelids and scenes from everyday life.

These carvings are more than archaeological curiosities. They offer a glimpse into the communities that once traversed this harsh environment and a reminder that the Atacama was never the isolated wilderness it first appears to be. Long before modern roads crossed the desert, trade routes connected communities across the Andes, carrying people, goods and ideas between distant regions.

Exploring these sites with an expert guide transforms them from intriguing markings on stone into stories of migration, survival and cultural exchange. Combined with the region’s dramatic landscapes, they add a layer of depth to the Atacama that many travellers miss entirely.