Atacama Desert – Photos, Landscapes and a Travel Log

On our current journey, we chose the incredible Atacama Desert and the Salar de Uyuni to explore, with their unbeatable landscapes. The decision, once again, was based on the premise of visiting places close to Brazil that were true gems in terms of landscapes, trails and opportunities for “off the grid” adventures.

From the collection, we have already been to Argentinian and Chilean Patagonia and Peru. This time, the north of Chile and a small region of Bolivia clamored for a visit in 11 days of explorations in the month of October. This trip is quite inclined towards off road adventures and photography, but that doesn't mean you can't add a dash of archaeology, history and even local cuisine to it.

Before you go

It is important to remember that a good part of this journey takes place in the Chilean and Bolivian Altiplano, that is, the altitude can be your enemy if you do not prepare properly. As I said in the previous article about Peru, the ideal is to avoid excessive alcoholic beverages before going there. Hydrate yourself. Prepare yourself physically with walks and light cardio training. Even if you're lucky enough not to be affected by altitude, it won't hurt you to take these precautions.

Another important tip is: don't carry the house on your back. If you're a photographer, leave some of your equipment at home. Take the essentials. You don't want to be hiking at altitude with backpacks full of weights and tripods. Preferably use a versatile lens (24-105mm was my choice). If you're not a photographer, pack a more minimalist bag. I will explain a little more about this later in the post about Salar de Uyuni.

How to get there

We opted for the flight to Santiago in Chile, and then one to Calama, the gateway to the Atacama Desert. We rented a car at the small airport to drive approximately 100km to San Pedro de Atacama from where we based ourselves to explore all the sites.

Atacama Desert: What to explore?

During our 6 days in Atacama we dedicated ourselves to exploring three major routes that are shown on the map below. Pay attention: we made most of the routes by car, except for one that we will explain shortly. All the others we had no problem, even sometimes driving on dirt roads and gravel that were well maintained.

First Day - Laguna Chaxa and Surroundings of San Pedro de Atacama (Valley of the Moon, etc)

Although San Pedro de Atacama is not on such high ground, you will constantly be going to the heights if you go to the lagoons and volcanoes in the area. Therefore, it is wise to acclimatize for at least 1 to 2 days here before venturing out. We did this following the advice of our friend @antawhara from Sami Atacama, the hotel where we stayed.

Região que exploramos no nosso primeiro dia em São Pedro de Atacama

The surroundings of San Pedro are great for practicing walking, avoiding the strong sun and driving around in search of interesting landscapes. Here, highlight the Valley of the Moon and the Village of Tulor, which are very empty at the beginning of the day. Laguna Chaxa is also an excellent opportunity to photograph Flamingos if you are looking for the rich fauna of the place. Just remember to go to the last one towards the end of the day if you want some nice pictures.

Second Day - Lagunas Altiplanicas (Miniques and Miscanti) and Piedras Rojas (Aguas Calientes)

The same road that takes you to the edge of Laguna Chaxa is the one that will take you to these true works of art of nature in the Atacama Desert. Again, leave early to avoid the wave of companies and tourists. It takes almost 2 hours by car to go there and another two hours to come back. You'll possibly spend all day photographing and visiting the sites, so pack a snack for lunch as there are no restaurants along the way.

You will need to buy the entrance ticket to the lagoons and to Piedras Rojas (Aguas Calientes) in the city of Socaire. I tried to buy online but unfortunately the website didn't work. Don't worry, as right at the entrance to the city you will see the visitor center and it is reasonably well signed.

Região que exploramos no nosso segundo dia em São Pedro de Atacama

I started early in the Lagunas and spent a good amount of time alone with the nature of the place before other visitors appeared. In Piedras Rojas it was a little more crowded, but we still took advantage of some photo opportunities.

It is important to remember that here you are already hiking at altitude, so take a coat, stay hydrated and do not abuse alcohol in the previous days to avoid the symptoms of “soroche”.

Third day - Lascar Volcano and Laguna Lejia

Remember I said at the beginning that we weren't going to explore everything by car? Yup. This is the place I avoided. The path to Laguna Lejia is not as “friendly” as the others. We saw one or two cars driving around here, but we also saw broken down cars.

Driving in the desert, on bad roads and at altitude is a triple threat. Excess dust can clog car filters and mechanisms causing problems. Also, the higher you go, the less oxygen to fuel the engine's combustion, which can cause more difficulties. Add to all this the bumps and rocks that test the shock absorbers, axles and tires all the time.

Therefore, in this place, the ideal is to go with a prepared vehicle and an experienced driver. We opted for the Araya Atacama guide to the Volcano and Laguna Lejia and we didn't regret it. Unfortunately, we didn't arrive at the earliest possible time to catch the sunrise, but we managed to get some nice pictures at almost 5,000 meters high.

Fourth day - Road to Salar de Tara and Viewpoints

Before starting to talk about this part, remember one thing: we do not enter the Salar de Tara by car. This part is not recommended for beginners due to the difficulty on the way, so we opted to enjoy the landscapes on the road that passes by the edge of this and other salt flats and lagoons on the way.

This road is heavily paved and perfectly safe. There are several viewpoints and stops along the way for you to photograph, starting from the Licancabur Volcano to the Mirador Salar de Loyoques.

Região que exploramos no nosso quarto dia em São Pedro de Atacama

One suggestion is to take breakfast and a snack and start early. The trip takes around two hours, which can be extended with stops, as well as the return trip.

Bonus: Astrophotographs

I also remember here that the Atacama Desert is one of the best spots in the world for astrophotography. We, unfortunately, went during the waxing moon, which made the process quite difficult. If you can, choose a time of waning or new moon to make the most of this opportunity.

There are several points to photograph the stars, especially on the roads to the Salar de Tara and the altiplanic lagoons. Protect yourself from the cold and take the right equipment.

Experiences and Conclusions

The Journey through the Atacama Desert was very pleasant and full of great opportunities to photograph mountains and landscapes with a more minimalist touch. The opportunities here are in the journeys and the search for desert views with volcanoes, flamingos, vicuñas and other local animals.

Although it is not like an Argentine or Chilean Patagonia, if you are looking for freedom and exploration with a lot of landscape photography, this is one of the places close to Brazil that will surprise you. Night photography is world class. Don't forget the sweater, and good photos!