Chile Guide
El Norte Grande
Valle de la Luna
The VALLE DE LA LUNA (CH$1500), or Valley of the Moon (about 14km west of San Pedro on the old road to Calama) really lives up to its name, presenting a dramatic lunar landscape of wind-eroded hills surrounding a crust-like valley floor, once the bottom of a lake. An immense sand dune sweeps across the valley, easy enough to climb and a great place to sit and survey the scenery. If you're prepared to battle your way through the flying sand, you can even walk along the dune's crest.
The valley is at its best at sunset, when it's transformed into a spellbinding palette of golds and reds, but you'll have to share this view with a multitude of fellow visitors, as all San Pedro tour operators offer daily sunset trips here. A more memorable (but more demanding) experience would be to get up before day breaks and cycle to the valley, arriving at sunrise for rental info). The way here is straightforward: take Caracoles west out of San Pedro and at the end take the left-hand turn, following the old road to Calama directly to the valley. Remember to bring plenty of water and sunscreen. Note that the valley is part of the Conaf-run Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos, and camping is not permitted.