Among Salt and Stars — Exploring the Atacama Desert

Silence. That’s the first thing you notice in the Atacama.
A silence so pure that even the wind with its whispering voice hesitates to break it.

In northern Chile, between the Andes and the Pacific, lies such a marvellous place on Earth—a land that might look more like Mars than anything else on our planet. This is my first stop for the new Travel section of my blog, and there couldn’t be a better beginning.

Arrival in San Pedro de Atacama #

San Pedro welcomes you with its narrow streets and adobe walls, the smell of dust, and a burning sun.

After checking in, I walked toward the main plaza following its alleyways. The sky was so clear it felt like a dome made of glass.

Valle de la Luna — The Desert that Breathes Light #

The Valley of the Moon lives up to its name. Eroded ridges and salt crystals stretch endlessly, glittering in the setting sun. As the sun set behind the Andes, the ground itself seemed to shimmer with a play of light and shadow, as if a great torch were being waved at the pleasure of some playful God.

I just stood there watching light dissolving into shadow.

When I think about it, I remember the words of Arthur Machen in The Hill of Dreams: there was a glow in the sky as if great furnace doors were opened.

El Tatio Geysers at Dawn #

At 4 A.M., the air was freezing, the stars hung like tiny, glittering drops on a dark black canvas. Then, out of the dark, the geysers began to breathe.
Columns of steam rose in silence, or with a muffled murmur, perhaps as an evocation of heaven, or an offering to catch the first pink of dawn.

If the desert feels like Mars, this place feels like its heartbeat.

Lagoons and Flamingos #

High above the plains, blue lagoons mirror volcanoes.
Flamingos feed in slow, elegant circles, their reflections trembling in the thin air.
It’s a reminder that even in the driest desert, life finds a way to dance.

The blue of the lake, the arid desert, and those gray plants that cling to life in front of imposing volcanoes, give me the sensation of a beautiful and strange world, but one I do not understand.

Under the Clearest Skies #

At night, I joined an astronomy tour.
The guide turned off the flashlights, and for a moment, the desert disappeared.
Above us, the Milky Way was a river of light—so bright it cast shadows.

I took a look through the telescope, with the taste of wine in my mouth, and behold distant worlds of a past that cannot be reached, a web of entangling lights that tremble, and refuse to disappear even though they are no longer. Perhaps our ancestors looked at this same sky in wonder.

Reflections #

San Pedro is a place to visit. If you have a reflective or adventurous nature, this is the place for you. Its vastness doesn’t shout; it whispers, asking you to slow down, to listen, to think.

I once read somewhere that some places don’t take your breath away, they give it back. This desert is one of them.

📍 Quick Notes for Travelers #

• Best time to visit: September-November and April-May (clear skies and mild temperatures) according to the guide.
• Base town: San Pedro de Atacama.
• Don’t miss: Valle de la Luna, El Tatio, Miscanti & Miñiques, Salar de Atacama, stargazing tours.
• Bring: Sunscreen, layers for temperature changes, and… curiosity.