The Driest Place on Earth

photo courtesy of NASA

Some parts of Chile's Atacama Desert haven't seen a drop of rain since recordkeeping began. Despite this, over a million people occupy this 600 mile stretch of land, mostly in fishing villages and coastal towns. The locals have come up with ingenious ways of collecting moisture , mostly from fog, and have even figured out how to farm the land. Quite amazing considering that scientists have not been able to even find bacteria in the soil.

Travellers have plenty to explore in this remote place. The Atacama is home to a large flamingo breeding colony, the world's highest geyser field, salt lakes, and several volcanoes. Not to mention little villages, sacred Inca sites, and many churches.

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Atacama Desert Vacation

Atacama Desert Photo Gallery

History of Chile

tags: atacama, desert, chile, vacation, travel