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The geographical diversity in this region is enough for an entire country. Prominent features include the altiplano, the Atacama desert, the Pacific Ocean and the Andes.
by Dominic Sawyer
Norte Grande
San Pedro de Atacama
A sleepy oasis village, San Pedro was once a stop over point on the cattle trail from Argentina but is now a tourist hotspot for Chileans and foriegners alike.
San Pedro maintains a peaceful and attractive quality and provides a base for many excursions into the desert.
Valle de la Luna
The valley of the moon are unique desert landscapes produced by a combination of flood and wind.
The extinct but ominous Licancabur stands at 5916m.
East of San Pedro and its surrounding area, are a series of immense volcanoes, some are still active
Salt formation known as the three sisters
El Tatio Geysers
This geyser field is the highest in the world (4300m) and lies 95km from San Pedro. Watching the jets of steam early in the morning is a breathtaking experience.
Laguna Chaxa
Although sparse of flamingoes at the time, Laguna Chaxa is the most accessible flamingo breeding site, only 65km from San Pedro.
Parque Nacional Lauca
Lying at more than 4500m above sea level, Lago Chungara is a host to an assortment of unusual wildlife, including the Andean gull (Larus serranus), and the Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis)
The Aymara pasture their alpacas and llamas on the bofedales (swampy grasslands). These two pictures were taken around Chucuyo, a tiny but welcoming settlement of Aymara farmers.
Paranicota has a diminishing population and appeared to house about a dozen inhabitants at the time. A well stocked sweet shop, games of volleyball outside the church and generous egg donating locals made our stay eggstremely enjoyable.
This 17th-century colonial church contains a series of surreal murals and also a table chained up, apparently because of its tendency to leave at night hunting down spirits.
From Paranicota there are endless walks, refreshing solitariness broken by scarpering vicunas and the ever present dormant twin Pallachata volcanoes.
Lago Cotacotani feeds the rio Lauca, however, the diversions imposed by the national electric company threaten its ecological significace. Keep your eye out for puma, or more likely puma tracks
The mountain vizcacha (Lagidium viscacia) bathing briefly in the afternoon sun before hopping away.
