Atacama Desert

Atacama Desert, stretching 1,000 km along Chile's coast, is Earth’s driest non-polar desert—some areas see no rain for centuries. Its Mars-like landscapes feature salt flats, geysers, and lunar valleys, while high-altitude plateaus host major astronomical observatories. Despite hyper-aridity, life persists in microbial colonies and sudden "desert blooms" after rare rains. Rich in lithium and copper, the Atacama balances mining with ecotourism, offering surreal stargazing and adventures in nature’s most extreme laboratory.