A Gorgeous Road Trip in the Atacama Desert, Chile

The northern tip of Chile, the Atacama Desert and its surroundings, offers a fantastic setting for a road trip, particularly off-road. The Pan American Highway crosses the region from north to south with tarmac roads dissecting the Atacama Desert, the Pampa del Tamarugo and Chile’s Altiplano.

But what better way to experience the overpowering landscapes and to meet Aymara indigenous people in their ancient villages than by leaving the beaten track. Whether you travel by your own vehicle, rent a 4WD or an all-terrain vehicle, enjoy this beautiful road trip.

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San Pedro de Atacama, Chile – 5x Landscapes & Ruins the Atacama Desert

San Pedro Volcano, San Pedro de Atacama,Chile

The 2000-square-km Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the most arid in the world. Each year thousands of tourists flock to San Pedro de Atacama, from where they set out to explore some of Chile’s surreal landscapes of the Atacama Desert with natural phenomena and ancient settlements.

Here 5 recommended places to visit in the surrounding Atacama Desert, but first let’s get an impression of this colonial town itself.

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5 Slow Travel Destinations in Chile – Wild & Empty Landscapes

Altiplano in Chile

Chile is a country of extremes. It measures 4300 kilometers from Peru to the Strait of Magellan and averages 177 kilometers from east to west. The country is entirely closed off from its neighbors by the Andes Mountains. The Atacama Desert is the driest desert in the world and Nevada Ojos del Salado is the world’s highest volcano.

When it comes to open, wide, and overwhelming landscapes, here are 5 of my favorite slow-travel destinations.

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Hiking in Torres del Paine, Chile’s Best National Park

A thick black blanket steadily moved eastwards, threatening to block out daylight and announcing an impending storm. I took short gulps of air, exhausted from having legged it uphill to the 4000-foot John Gardner Pass.

How was it to hike in Torres del Paine National Park?

Tough?

Magic?

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Driving the Carretera Austral in Chile

Two men with furrowed faces under wide sombreros enter the arena. Callused hands leisurely hold the reins of the horses and short ponchos striped in natural colors fall around the cowboys’ shoulders. A gate is opened, a young bull set loose.

Let the game begin!

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5 Places in South America to Stand in Awe Before Forces of Nature

In South America we often feel overwhelmed by our surroundings, marvel at views, camp in grandiose terrains, and feel dwarfed by canyons and mountains. Among the well-known spectacular sceneries on the continent are the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina, Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, the Lake District in Patagonia, the colored lakes of Sud Lipez in Bolivia, and Valle de la Luna in Chile.

Let’s explore some of the lesser-known forces of nature.

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