San Pedro de Atacama, Rainbow Valley, & Moon Valley
Days One & Two - Chile & Bolivia - 2017
Arriving in San Pedro de Atacama, I checked out some sights around town, including Rainbow Valley, Moon Valley, and the Valle de la Muerte.
Map Credit: OpenStreetMap
Map Credit: OpenStreetMap
1. Atacama Overlook
Looking south from a pull-off on the road between Calama and San Pedro de Atacama into the Atacama, the world’s driest desert.
I was excited to have arrived in the Atacama Desert after a long evening and morning of travel from the United States. Leaving the U.S. in late fall, it was quite a transition to adjust to the mid-day heat in the Atacama. En route from Calama Airport, the shuttle taxi to San Pedro de Atacama stopped at this popular overlook on a hill on the edge of the Valle de la Luna. Until this point, the drive was over relatively flat, featureless terrain, but from here, you could see the ridges, mountains, and salt flats that many think of when they think of the Atacama Desert…along with the requisite sense of lifelessness. A very powerful introduction to this amazing place, indeed.
2. Cloudless Moon
A full moon hangs over San Pedro de Atacama on a perfectly cloudless night.
I arrived in San Pedro de Atacama around mid-day. After a walk to the south end of town, I checked into my hotel and took a quick nap. I awoke excited to get some South American steak, which I got in the town center (a feat I would accomplish several more times during my trip, absolutely unworldly delicious.) After returning to my hotel, I caught the first glimpse of the moon peeking over the roof, and I couldn’t help but take a picture. This was a rare treat for me since I almost never see the moon in such a dark, clear sky - certainly I have done night photography work in other amazingly dark places, particularly in the American Southwest, but I almost always time these journeys to coincide with new moons. I am still amazed the detail I was able to see with just a mid-range telephoto lens.
3. Atacama Overlook Redux
Smatterings of green appear in the otherwise waterless valley around San Pedro de Atacama.
The following morning, I took a tour of Rainbow Valley, a geologic formation just west of San Pedro de Atacama. The tour bus driver stopped en routeat the same overlook my transfer shuttle stopped at the day before. A popular destination, it appears.
4. Atacama Overlook Redux, Again
For the most part, the Atacama Desert receives less than 25 millimeters (1 inch) of rain a year.
Looking west from the overlook, I really began to get a sense of how dry this place truly is. Aside from the springs underneath San Pedro de Atacama, this place is truly waterless - not even a cloud in the sky.
5. Yerbas Buenas Petroglyph #1
Nearby Rainbow Valley is a grouping of 3000-year-old petroglyphs collectively referred to commonly as the Yerbas Buenas Petroglyphs. This one is called, “Llama de dos Cabezas". The llama is the most common image among the petroglyphs, underscoring its importance to the native peoples who carved its image.
I love me a petroglyph (or a geoglyph, for that matter), and given that the Atacama is likely the world’s oldest desert, these glyphs are in amazing condition. The following five photographs contain some of these petroglyphs, but know this is just a sample of the ones you can see at this sight.
6. Yerbas Buenas Petroglyph #2
7. Yerbas Buenas Petroglyph #3
8. Yerbas Buenas Petroglyph #4
9. Yerbas Buenas Petroglyph #5
10. Yerbas Buenas Petroglyph #6
11. Water Always Wins
The pockmarked face of this wall at the end of Rainbow Valley shows what weathering looks like when its time scale is dramatically stretched over millennia.
After seeing the petroglyphs, we finally arrived in the Valley del Arcoiris, or, Rainbow Valley. We were dropped off at the north end of the valley where we spotted this worn valley wall. This is perhaps the ultimate manifestation of the idea that “water always wins” - even if there isn’t a whole lot if it to go around….
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12. Rainbow Valley #1
A variety of mineral deposits in Valle del Arcoiris -Rainbow Valley- give this valley its distinctive palette of colors. As softer earth was slowly worn away by wind and, occasionally, rain, these more resistant materials were left behind.
We were given a brief Spanish-only tour and overview of the valley before being given the rest of the time to explore on our own. I understood a surprising amount of what the guide was saying considering it had been half-a-lifetime since I had last taken a Spanish course. Cristina, an extremely kind Madrilenian, translated portions of the commentary when I looked positively nonplussed - for this I am very thankful. Seven photographs of Rainbow Valley follow this one.
13. Rainbow Valley #2
14. Rainbow Valley #3
15. Rainbow Valley #4
16. Rainbow Valley #5
17. Rainbow Valley #6
18. Rainbow Valley #7
19. Rainbow Valley #8
20. Cordillera de la Sal #1
Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley) gets its name from the seemingly other-worldly geologic formations that are found there. A prime example are the Cordillera de la Sal (Salt Mountains), which are believed to be the remnants of an ancient lake which rose with the formation of the Andes then evaporated, leaving formations of gypsum behind.
In the afternoon, I had a tour in Moon Valley, an area west of San Pedro de Atacama best known for its diverse and amazing geologic formations. Moon Valley is a massive area, and our group began by first visiting the Cordillera de la Sal area of the preserve. The following five photographs are also from the Salt Mountains, particularly the area around the Salt Cavern.
21. Cordillera de la Sal #2
22. Cordillera de la Sal #3
23. Cordillera de la Sal #4
24. Cordillera de la Sal #5
25. Cordillera de la Sal #6
26. Las Tres Marías
Las Tres Marías (The Three Marys) is a formation of primarily granite and quartz worn by wind to appear as if three women are praying.
Moving further into Moon Valley, we stopped at The Three Marys. I am admittedly not terribly imaginative when it comes to deriving images from things like rock formations or constellations of stars; as such, you can imagine I had a difficult time with this one, but those traveling in my group swore they understood the meaning immediately.
27. T-Rex
Another formation appears at the edge of the salt in Moon Valley.
Nearby The Three Marys is this formation, which I dubbed “T-Rex” (perhaps I was in such a mood after trying to unlock the secrets of The Three Marys as long as I did).
28. Amphitheater Rock
Amphitheater Rock is so named because it will echo back to you if you yell from its base.
This photograph doesn’t really do the size of Amphitheater Rock justice - it is absolutely massive and as such produces an eerily perfect echo. I’ve seen many such natural amphitheaters, but I am hard-pressed to recall one as astonishing as this one.
29. Sands of Moon Valley
Salt formations give way to shifting sands in Moon Valley. In the background is the stratovolcano Licancabur which, at 5900 meters, can easily be seen despite being over 30 kilometers away.
It was about this point that I began to realize that Moon Valley was basically all the best parts of the American Southwest’s desert rolled into one preserve - all that were missing were some stone natural bridges and the occasional scrub plant.
30. The Great Dune
A massive collection of wind-swept sand, the Great Dune dominates Moon Valley.
I was pleased by the preserve’s deference when I was told visitors are not allowed to climb the face of the Great Dune. The top may be reached by walking around to the backside on a long but well-maintained and not-too-steep pathway. I was warned by my guide that -based on the time and our itinerary- we would just have enough time to make it to the top and return, and sure enough he was right.
31. View From The Great Dune #1
Looking back across Moon Valley from the Great Dune towards Amphitheater Rock.
You can really get an appreciation of scale from atop the Great Dune. Amphitheater Rock stands proudly nearby, dwarfing everything around it. If you look near the center of the photograph, a (well-timed) bus appears dwarfed as it passes by. Two additional views follow.
32. View From The Great Dune #2
33. View From The Great Dune #3
34. Valle de la Muerte Sunset
Originally called Valle de Marte (Mars Valley), a transcription error by a reporter resulted in Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley), a name which endured.
We rushed to Death Valley, nearer by San Pedro de Atacama, to catch its famous sunset. This photograph doesn’t do the proceedings justice as the event must be viewed in totality. Shortly before, during, and shortly after sunset, these hills will change color from orange, to red, then to brown in a matter of minutes. The spectacle is certainly among the best of desert sunsets and worth the journey.
