San Pedro de Atacama

Salt and clay carved by wind leave a surface cracked like the moon. As the light turns red toward dusk people climb the ridge and sit.

At 4320 metres the steam rises highest when the pre dawn cold is deepest. Departure happens in the dark, with vehicles rolling out at four.

Salt crystals push up rough enough to crack underfoot. Three flamingo species feed together in the pools at its centre.

Cloud is rare and humidity low, so the milky way shows to the naked eye. At sites with telescopes a guide points out the constellations.

So much salt is dissolved that a body floats without effort. Tanks of fresh water stand beside it for rinsing the salt off afterwards.

Above 4000 metres red volcanic rock meets white salt right where the water begins. Air is thin, so walking stays slow and visits stay short.

A stone fort raised in the twelfth century steps up a valley slope. Following the path to the top opens a view over the whole oasis.

Different minerals in each layer split the hills into red, green and white. Almost nobody comes, so nothing sounds except the vehicle.

Mud brick walls carry a roof of cactus wood tied with leather strips. Not one nail was used and the structure still stands.

Meteorites picked up in the desert are laid out by type and can be handled. The dryness of this desert keeps them from rusting, so they survive a long time.

Above 4,000 m, two deep-blue lakes lie side by side, each under its own volcano. They belong to the Los Flamencos reserve, so walkers stay on the marked path. Altitude sickness strikes easily at this height; skip alcohol the day before and move slowly.

High sand slopes inside a red canyon in the salt range are used for sandboarding. Locals say the name began as Valley of Mars and got garbled. Bikes from town reach it, but the route is shadeless, so pack a couple of water bottles.

A shallow lake on the salt flat's western rim; where the water recedes, a white salt crust remains. Most tours come at dusk, when the Andean volcanoes mirrored in it turn pink. The temperature plunges after sunset, so bring a jacket.

Warm water runs along a canyon floor north of town, filling a chain of stepped pools. Wooden decking connects them for soaking one after another. Many itineraries add it to the return leg of the dawn El Tatio trip.

An adobe village site lived in since before the Christian era, its round houses joined like a honeycomb. Sand buried it until 20th-century excavation. A raised platform shows from above how the circular walls link together.

A handful of adobe houses and a thatched chapel beside a wetland near 4,000 m. Vehicles coming back from El Tatio pull in during the morning for llama skewers and empanadas. Flamingos and ducks sit along the marsh edge.

A salt lake on a plateau above 4,000 m near the Argentine border. On the way, wind-carved rock columns known as the Monks of Pacana stand in a row. The round trip is long, and the tour takes a full day.

An oasis village 40 km south, where a white bell tower of volcanic stone stands apart from its church. The tower dates from 1750. Behind the village, water runs down the Jerez ravine and keeps orchards alive.

A three-day four-wheel-drive journey from here across the Bolivian border to the Uyuni salt desert. It passes coloured highland lakes and geysers and tops out near 5,000 m. Refuge lodging is poorly heated, so a sleeping bag helps.

A lookout on the ridge of the salt range, where a jutting outcrop called Coyote Rock is the photo spot. At sunset the Moon Valley and Licancabur volcano flush red. The tip has no railing, so keep back on windy days.

The unpaved pedestrian main street, where tour agencies, restaurants and money changers all gather. In the evening each restaurant courtyard lights a fire pit. Cash machines in this desert town are few and often empty, so arrive carrying cash.

Seven deep turquoise salt pools sit in a line in the desert west of the salt flat. Swimming is allowed in only some of them, and the heavy salt keeps bodies afloat. There is no washing water, so bring bottled water to rinse the salt off your skin.