The Tales of Two Valleys
As much as I enjoyed our time in the Atacama region, planning the travel here was not as straightforward as I initially imagined. Most popular sites in the area are geared toward organized tours; however, many do not have an official website that details their opening hours and admission policies. Most travelers visit this region without a car; information on independent travel is surprisingly scarce. The conflicting information online regarding independent travel added a lot of anxiety to my trip. I constantly had to second-guess myself when planning my schedule. We even considered signing up for packaged tours to ease my anxiety. At $150 for five half-day tour modules, these tours are surprisingly affordable and run like a well-oiled machine.
San Pedro de Atacama has no shortage of tour operators vying for your business.
Valle de la Luna.
Valle Arcoiris.
For a region known for desolate serenity, most sites here have plenty of hoops to jump through, including advanced reservations and limited opening hours. The unnecessary red tape here went far beyond what is typical for sustainable tourism and responsible management. It was as if the local authorities wanted to make independent travel as difficult as possible, steering travelers toward tour operators. There's an air of economic collusion in the air if you ask me. My frustration with Atacama’s tourism is best illustrated by our visits to two valleys near San Pedro: the Valley of the Moon and the Rainbow Valley.
Valley Of The Moon
I may not have the proof, but I'm confident that Valle de la Luna, also known as Valley of the Moon, is the most popular day trip from San Pedro. Located only ten minutes outside the city center, this valley is known for its otherworldly, moon-like landscape. The valley is part of Reserva Nacional los Flamencos; the unique geography is the product of 33 million years of erosion and geological activity. The pictures online look stunning; it's understandable why this has become a massive Instagram hotspot. The best time to visit would be late afternoon to catch the beautiful sunset view. So it was no surprise that the entry was reserved for organized tour groups during that time. The “sunset tour” of the valley could run more than 40 USD per person.
The iconic Licancabur volcano is the perfect backdrop for Valle de la Luna.
According to some travel bloggers, booking tickets in advance is recommended due to the place’s popularity. However, their official website was a quandary as it only allowed billing addresses within Chile. We tried four different credit cards before the transaction went through magically. Like our recent experience at Socaire, the admission process was a mess. It was apparent that the ticketing area was understaffed. Even with an advanced reservation, we had to join a long queue to exchange the QR code for a paper slip. It was upsetting to see a ticket kiosk on the side with no line. I was always dumbfounded that those of us who planned ahead actually got stuck behind the line.
One of the reasons for this bureaucratic process is for staff to review the long list of regulations with visitors. Not only do visitors have to stick to one single road into the park, but there are also strict regulations on stopping and speed. We were surprised by how seriously they took these regulations. Along the routes, staff members were armed with speed guns, warning us not to exceed the speed limit on certain sections of the road. I was surprised that they cared so much about tourists driving more than 20km per hour.
This picture explains our experience at Valle de la Luna.
The rigid control extends to the entire park, down to the narrow footpaths visitors must follow. Each parking area is staffed with a couple of staff members keeping an eye on everyone. Considering the park's vastness, it was a shame that there was no opportunity for free exploration. The first stop is Duna Mayor, one of the largest dunes in Atacama. According to the staff, it's a twenty-five-minute hike to the top. There was a long line of people marching up. With little shade and the unrelenting intensity of the desert sun, we decided to skip it. I can’t imagine the views up there could beat the dunes of Erg Chigaga in Morocco. Judging from the crowd, I doubt we would find much serenity up there.
The road here is constantly monitored by the staff with speed guns.
A short trek to Victoria Mine.
The abandoned equipment at Victoria Mine.
Our next stop is Victoria Mine. It is a short fifteen-minute hike to the abandoned salt mine. The Valley of the Moon was once a center of salt production. The surrounding valley is dusted with snow-like salt crystals, making this landscape appealing. Named after the miner’s wife, the Victoria Mine seemed slightly out of place in a “pristine” landscape park. A few pieces of original equipment were purposefully left out to add more interest. Sadly, little information was available, except for a small informational plaque. The abandoned mine shaft was supposed to be open to visitors but closed during our visit. I can’t say we were impressed with our visit thus far.
The Three Marys (Las Tres Marías).
The next stop was The Three Marys (Las Tres Marías), at the terminus of the prescribed route. The peculiar geological formation is the most famous landmark, supposedly over a million years old. These rocks supposedly hold special religious significance among the ancient Atacameños people. But despite its fame, I haven’t been able to find much archaeological evidence online for the ancient worship. Colloquially, the formation is also called Los Vigilantes. Its shape is thought to be reminiscent of the images of the Virgin Mary in different poses.
Considering the fame of The Three Marys, we were shocked by its underwhelming beauty and size. This was a five-minute stop at most. Although they may look cool, they are pale compared to geological sites such as Taiwan’s Yehliu Geopark or Turkey’s Cappadocia. The endless stream of visitors depressed me and was almost comical. I could tell most were disappointed; we all like to believe a site is more interesting because it is on the tourist trail. Without more historical context, it was hardly a worthwhile stop.
We can’t believe this is such a big attraction.
The salt deposit here looks like snow.
The Amphitheater.
Feeling deflated, we backtracked along the main route to the overlook trail for The Amphitheater. This impressive formation is over 150 feet tall and has a handsome, curving silhouette. The distinctive geological striation made this easily the most worthwhile stop in the valley. The hike up is considered moderate and well worth it. Given the harsh afternoon sunlight, we took sun protection seriously. Just as we were all sun-screened up, a staff member stopped us at the trailhead as the trail was closed an hour before the closing time. I could understand the logic, but it was nevertheless very disappointing. I could help feeling this visit was a bust for us. Of course, we had no one else to blame but ourselves.
The Amphitheater.
The view from Midador de Kari.
With that, we technically made all the allowable stops within the valley. We reluctantly drove out while the sun was still high above our heads. I suddenly remembered that the park also includes a viewpoint easily accessible from the nearby expressway. Called Mirador de Kari, the viewpoint has two separate viewing areas and offers slightly different views of the valley below. The views here are more magnificent than any view inside the park. The moonlike landscape took on a golden hue in the late afternoon. Thankfully, there were few visitors here and we practically had the whole place to ourselves. It was as if there were better viewpoints elsewhere.
Mirador de Kari.
The colors at sunset were dazzing.
Looking good, Brian!
The most notable feature here is Coyote Stone (Piedra del Coyote), which jutted into the canyon. It is the most Instagrammed spot in the park. Curiously, the rock is situated just behind the no-trespass zone. It was fun to know that all the influencers would break the law to get their money shots. Frustratingly, they closed Mirador de Kari well before sunset. Once again, everything about Valle de la Luna is frustrating. They must know this is a popular spot for sunset, so why would they purposefully make it inaccessible? After all, we are talking about extending the opening hours for another thirty minutes! To say our visit was a disappointment would be an understatement. I have never been to a natural site that is more rigidly regulated. The scenery may be beautiful, but we always felt like we were being surveilled. Although I appreciate the importance of landscape conservation, micro-management here is unnecessary.
It is hard to not fall in love with this view at sunset.
Funny enough, the best spot to see the sunset is from Mirador Likan, just a minute’s drive from Mirador de Kari. This free viewpoint is just steps from the road, and the views are breathtaking. Everybody in the know seemed to come here to appreciate the serenity and beauty of Atacama. Though there are perhaps a hundred visitors here, it never felt crowded. I would definitely recommend skipping Valle de la Luna for anyone short on time. Why bother if you could get this view with no effort?
Rainbow Valley
On our last day in Atacama, the relentless sun thoroughly exhausted us. Having visited most popular attractions in the region, we ventured just a little “off the beaten path” to explore another valley: Rainbow Valley (Valle Arcoiris). The place is roughly sixty miles from San Pedro and sees only a fraction of visitors compared to Valle de la Luna. Even though there isn’t much information online about Rainbow Valley, the reviews seem overwhelmingly positive. We could only hope there wasn’t some reservation system foreign visitors were unaware of, and be turned away at the gate.
The ticketing office at Yerbas Buenas Petroglyphs.
Brian was well prepared for the desert environment.
This place must be a perfect hunting ground for archaeologists.
Despite its remote location, the road conditions along the way are surprisingly good. Herds of vicuña accompanied us and kept us company during the fifty-minute drive. Our first stop this morning was Yerbas Buenas Petroglyphs, an enigmatic prehistoric site composed of massive rock outcrops on the flat valley floor. The site is the home of numerous ancient petroglyphs left by the Atacameno people from roughly 10,000 years ago. The presence of these petroglyphs led our archaeologists to believe that this spot was once a central transit point of regional trade routes and a cosmopolitan place. I can’t help wondering how big this settlement was in its heyday. What kind of buildings were here?
The artistry here was actually quite impressive.
We can’t help eavesdropping on the nearby tour grou
Do you see a baby llama inside the mother llama?
After paying the modest admission at the office, we could freely roam the sprawling site. It did not take long for us to come upon our first petroglyph. We were pleasantly surprised by how legible and vivid these carvings were; it was hard to describe the excitement. Prehistoric culture has always fascinated me, especially their artwork and architecture. Two of my favorite travel experiences were the Bronze Age beehive tombs in Oman and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum in Malta. The absence of written language somehow made me feel closer to them. Arts have always been the universal language, after all.
I think these are the ceremonial ground for the ancient Atacameños people.
Like prehistoric cave paintings around the world, the subjects here are almost exclusively wildlife. Not surprisingly, the most common animals depicted here were the vicuña and llama. The rock faces here became an excellent record of the ecosystem of the Atacama region. Some of the most splendid creations we spotted were flamingos, crocodiles, and camels. The most famous carving would probably be the pregnant desert fox, with an unborn pup in her belly. However, the most curious petroglyph is an adorable monkey. It may not look unusual until we learned there were no monkeys in this part of the world back then. Archaeologists interpret it as evidence of cross-cultural exchange with far-flung cultures.
Archaeologists are puzzled by the depiction of monkeys in this part of the continent.
These petroglyphs honestly look like a Picasso painting.
During our visit, we encountered a couple of organized tour groups, and I could not help but eavesdrop on the professional guide. After a few minutes, I wondered how much the tour industry embellishes the stories here. This guide even claimed some petroglyphs here could be attributed to extraterrestrials. It made me really question everything that these “professional guides” have to say. The cynic within me also wondered whether the locals decided to carve a few more elaborate petroglyphs to attract more tourists. I would not be shocked if an episode of Ancient Aliens was filmed here.
We were both pleasantly surprised by just how vast the site is. With enough time, we could easily spend a few hours here. Besides two tour groups, we practically had the entire place to ourselves during our visit. The most exciting part of the site is "The Mural” on an expansive section of rock face. The overlapping petroglyphs here are particularly dense and include numerous human figures. I wish the site would one day have an interpretative center to better educate visitors on these enigmatic petroglyphs.
"The Mural” has the largest concentration of these petroglyphs.
From the petroglyphs, it was another ten-minute drive to the Rainbow Valley. Located in the Rio Grande Basin, the valley is reached via a scenic drive through oases and streams. It was far more picturesque than the drive to the Valle de la Luna. The gravel track may initially seem rustic, but it is reachable even by small sedan cars. We got our first glimpse of the rainbow colors that brought visitors from far and wide. The greenish hue stood out in the desert landscape and resembled green moss of a tropical forest. They resemble the green sand beach you would find in Hawaii’s Big Island.
The Rio Grande Basin.
The ticketing booth of the Rainbow Valley.
The valley is most famous for its vibrant green rocks.
The ticket booth is just a little building on the side of the road; we were glad they do not require an advanced reservation. The lady manning the booth may be grumpy, but the process was straightforward. Even though there was no fancy facility or even proper maps, the valley could be easily explored by car with well-maintained hiking trails. The geological formation here may not be as grand as its famous cousin, but we much prefer the laid-back atmosphere here. The trails here are more challenging but have many unexpected views and colors. It is a humble hidden gem of Atacama.
This is a great selfie spot, isn’t it?
The landscape here was remarkable.
This might be the most beautiful trailhead I have ever been to.
The first trail we took was a steep ascent through rocky paths that should connect to the top of the ridge. It required us to do more scrambling than we were prepared for. Even though we did not get that far on this trail, we were taken entirely by the laccolith-like rock pillars. These dramatic formations look eerie but awe-inspiring. I am surprised they were not all over social media or travel blogs. The silhouette distorts the scale, and they look straight out of The Game of Thrones. The soaring cliff faces also mean the trail is largely shaded, a much appreciated feature after a few weeks in the Atacama region.
The slot canyon was mightily impressive.
The soaring cliff face of the slot canyon.
On the trail, we chatted with another American couple, and they mentioned that we ought to check out the slot canyon in the other part of the valley. Having been to the slot canyons in Oman and Egypt, we had no high hopes. To my surprise, the slot canyon was narrower and more awe-inspiring. However, the best feature is just how accessible it is: a mere two-minute walk from the parking area. Compared to the other places we visited thus far, this place may be the most worthwhile stop. If it was not for our prepaid lunch reservation at San Pedro, we would love to spend the whole afternoon here!
