Atacama Desert Tours

Atacama Desert Climate

The four regions close to the driest desert of the world called Atacama, share some of the most extreme conditions, as this place is so dry some cities nearby like Arica are called “eternal summer” and the average rainfall in a year in the region of Antofagasta is below 1 milimetre, some weather stations have never even receive water. It is so dry, that some of the tallest mountaints in the area, which can reach 6000 meters high, have no ice at their tops whatsoever.

Tours and things to visit in San Pedro de Atacama & the Desert

It is a place to visist for strong brave people, who wish to see the oasis of civilization that are able to survive in this rough conditions, or the national parks that posses unique natural species. Some of the other peculiar atributes of the desert are the salt pans, which contain an enormous amount of lithium, which can be used for rechargable, more eco-friendly batteries, this tecnology is growing in importance in the last years and will give Chile a lot of long term benefits if the country is able to manage it well. Also another particular caracteristic of this place is the native called “camanchaca” which is a fog that usually covers the surroundings of the coast and contains vital water that can be captured for local activities.

Trips to Atacama Desert

So if you are looking for a trip in this particular place, why not search for locals to guide you trough this adventure? There are many options that cover some of the nice places and environments created here like the salt pans in Atacama, the Moon and the death valley, and the cities in the middle of the desert like San Pedro or Calama, which are able to survive because of the mining activities and the tourism alone.

Getting into the Atacama desert

The unique environment produced here is very interesting, as the cold waters of the Humboldt current (which comes directly from the Antártica region) produce a nice temperature for fishing, but not so nice for the earth part of the region, as it reduces the posibility of rain because it is harder for the water to evaporate, and creates a termic inversion, with cold air trapped below the warm air, making almost imposible to produce clouds.

So the weather creates tough conditions, but does that makes the area unentertaining to visit or touring? Not at all, as you may find several Oasis-like places, with native surviving species and some well-preserved natural areas that can only be found in extreme conditions like the ones we have in Chile, so book up your tours!