Salar de Atacama, the Altiplano and Other Exciting Places!

On our second day in Atacama, we got up early to go on a tour at 7am to Salar de Atacama, the salt flats of the desert, along with some other places of interest. One thing I want to mention that is a bit strange about the area is that it's really hot during the day, and very cold and windy at night and in the early morning. It's also quite cold on the Altiplano. We only took hand luggage with us, so I was struggling at times to decide which items out of the small amount of clothes I'd brought would be best for the climate! (This gave me a good opportunity to buy a new skort from one of the shops selling colourful clothing in San Pedro on our last day. 😄 ) So at times, during the Salar de Atacama tour (and during the trip as a whole), I was feeling quite cold, and at other times quite hot. If I go back, I will be better prepared!

The first place we went to on the tour was a very charming village called Toconao.

It is most famous for its bell tower, which is separate from the church.

It is also famous for the two big cacti in the village square, known as Señor and Señorita Cactus. I won't say why they have those names, but it's quite obvious! 😂

Then we headed off to the salt flats, specifically Laguna Chaxa. This was a beautiful place, and very different to anywhere I'd been before. But there was another reason why I liked it so much... The lagoon is the habitat of three types of flamingo, which we were able to see fairly closely!

I'm a big animal lover, so I was really happy to have seen the birds in such an amazing setting. The only downside to the salt flats is that they don't smell very nice!

The next place we went was a town called Socaire, which is known for its ancient agricultural terraces as well as its Catholic church, demonstrating the history of the area. It reminded me a little bit of Machu Picchu, somewhere I'd like to go in the future.

Next we made a quick stop by a river which is interesting because it flows upwards and it's unclear why it does so. Maybe it's magic...

Shortly after that, we arrived in the Altiplano! We visited two lagoons that lie next to each other, Laguna Miñiques and Laguna Miscanti. They were an amazing sight, with the Andes mountains and the Miñiques volcano in the background.

But it gets better! We spotted some creatures moving about in the distance, which turned out to be vicuñas, animals that are similar to llamas and alpacas! When I went to Huilo Huilo in June, I had hoped to see guanacos, another similar type of animal, but there weren't any in sight. So I was really pleased to be luckier with my wildlife spotting this time.

(In the following picture, there are two vicuñas on the right which are extremely tiny as they were so far away.)

Then as we were driving to the next stop on the tour, we came across a group of them who were much closer! I was able to take a couple of photos through the minibus window.

The next stop on the tour was really interesting, as it was part of the desert where you can find both a marker along the Inca trail, as well as a marker of the Tropic of Capricorn.

                                                 

The tour was amazing; the places we visited were beautiful and I was so happy to see both flamingos and vicuñas! The salt flats, lagoons and Altiplano were so different to Valle de la Luna. I really liked both tours, but I found the places we saw on this one just a bit more scenic and impressive.

We got back to San Pedro at two o'clock in the afternoon, and had just a couple of hours before our next tour, which turned out to be the highlight of the entire trip!

Valle de la Luna

Valle de la Luna, a valley with various unique rock formations, is probably the place in the Atacama desert I'd heard most about before going. It's a must see because, as the name suggests, it looks more like the moon than a place on earth.

We went on a tour there on our first afternoon in Atacama. Although I was feeling quite ill that day, I still was able to appreciate the strange beauty of this dry, dusty place.

Valle de la Luna is just a few kilometres outside of San Pedro de Atacama, so it's easy to get there. Once we arrived, there was a short tour through a cave, which my boyfriend and the majority of people on the tour did. However, the guide said it wasn't a good idea for people who don't like small spaces, so me and a couple of others explored the surrounding area instead. It was fun to look around and see a cave (without going too far inside!), some interesting rock formations, and some rocks with crystals on them.

The next place we went to in the valley was Las Tres Marías (the three Marys). These are three rocks that sort of look like people praying. However, at some point in the past, the head fell off one of them!

During the final part of the tour, we climbed up three peaks to be able to see great expanses of the valley. It wasn't easy as I was feeling so rough, but it was worth it for the views! 

The big rock at the back of the first picture is known as "the amphitheatre".

Valle de la Luna was completely different to anywhere I've been before. The scenery was really impressive, and I'm glad I managed to see it, despite being ill. I felt awful that night, and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to do anything the next day. Thankfully, I woke up feeling alright and could completely enjoy our tour to Salar de Atacama; another very unique and fascinating place that I will write about next!