Guide To: The Atacama Desert

By: T. Kotler

The Atacama Desert is the second largest and most beautiful South American desert. It is the driest hot desert in the world, so don’t forget to pack your water bottle. Most people normally go there seeking for an adventure. Although some visit Atacama for its great cuisine and culture, others just want to observe the geysers’ explosions.  But one thing is for sure, it will be the most diverse, relaxing and memorable experience of your life.

If you are a night owl, you simply cannot miss the stars at night. San Pedro de Atacama has almost no light pollution, thus you can clearly admire the southern constellations. If you wish to see them a little bit closer, most hotels provide professional telescopes, or you can visit the public observatory. In the Atacama Desert there are no cloudy days. Also, there is the night quietness. There is nothing more satisfying than hearing the absolute silence of the desert. It is not the silence found in libraries; at the desert, you can hear your heartbeat getting louder by the second. 

If you are attracted to physical activities, sandboarding is the perfect fit for you. It is a challenging, unusual and quite dangerous sport. It is basically snowboarding in the sand, which makes it much more difficult. You need to hike to the top of the sand dunes and slide through the gold sand. At first you will probably fail miserably, but after the ninth time you will maybe get the hang of it.
 
For couples who enjoy hot air balloon excursions, it will be a really romantic experience; however, your kids will probably get very bored. You should definitely take them to glare at the geysers’ eruptions, which you will all enjoy. It is one of the most common and adored activities for tourists, which unfortunately requires you to wake up before sunrise due to the eruptions’ schedule. Seeing the geysers erupt is probably the most unique phenomenon you will ever witness. The discharge of a column of boiling water and vapour is amazing to gaze at. You can also enjoy the hot water pools that are naturally heated by the geysers.
 
There is also an attraction for the animal – lovers, the Llamas. They are the cutest animals, but beware, they spit. You can see these adorable mammals anywhere. These creatures have adapted to live in the warm arid desert. They can walk kilometres and spend days without drinking water.
 
Overall, the Atacama Desert is a marvellous place with breath – taking views and fascinating activities for all ages. If you want to try something new, you should definitely visit the Chilean desert.