Barren yet beautiful, Valle de la Luna in northern Chile is a fascinating world of sand and rock. Considered one of the most inhospitable areas on Earth; dry as a bone, devoid of life, and brimming with bizarre rock formations, it’s easy to see how Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley) got its name. Located in the Cordillera de la Sal (Salt Mountains) in Chile’s Atacama Desert, 8364 feet (2,250m) above sea level, the Valle de la Luna is a small depression in the ground, only 1,650 feet (500m) in diameter.
The Atacama Desert is considered one of the driest places on our planet, as some areas have not received a single drop of rain in centuries. The complete lack of moisture combined with the merciless desert sun results in a bizarre alien landscape, with no plants or animals. NASA doesn’t test the Mars Rovers here for nothing!
Valle de la Luna was declared a nature sanctuary in 1982 due to its exceptional natural beauty, and is part of the Reserva Nacional los Flamencos nature reserve. The concentration of sculptures carved by wind and water, and the kaleidoscope of colours displayed as the Sun bathes the valley in light makes it a popular tourist attraction and highlight of any visit to northern Chile.
The rolling slopes of this incredible valley were formed by the meeting of the Atacama Desert and the Andes Mountain Range. A series of buckling shifts in the Earth’s crust came about with the folding of the watery ground beneath the salt lakes that were once here.
In the dry lakes of Valle de la Luna, the salt composition also makes for a beautiful white mantle covering the area. The ridges and slopes glow a rainbow of colour, the iridescent tones shimmering in the intense heat. The salty film covering the valley makes the rocks sparkle like diamonds during the hottest parts of the day.
The landscapes have an impressive range of colour and texture. By late afternoon, the Sun begins to bring out the best of the Valle de la Luna’s many striking shades, and the sunsets are out of this world. The surreal shapes of the valley are bathed in vivid shades of purple, pink and gold, creating spectacular views.
An immense sand dune rises up in the heart of the valley offering a vantage point for spectacular views of the surrounding salt pans and cliffs. The valley is crowned on all sides by cascading volcanic peaks, including the imposing Licancabur Volcano, and the Andes mountain range can be seen on the horizon. The staggeringly beautiful Valle de la Luna really is out of this world.
Image Credits: Ana Lucia Toro http://www.trover.com/d/sp6F-valle-de-la-luna-san-pedro-de-atacama-chile Chile Travel http://chile.travel/en/where-to-go/north-and-the-atacama-desert/san-pedro-atacama/moon-and-death-valley/ Weilong Guan https://www.tourhq.com/chile/san-pedro-de-atacama-tours-guide
Reference Credit: Go Chile https://www.gochile.cl/en/moon-valley/