Valle de la Luna, a carved salt basin west of San Pedro de Atacama

Valle de la Luna in northern Chile is a compact desert basin of salt, sand and rock west of San Pedro de Atacama, where the Atacama Desert and the Cordillera de la Sal meet in a landscape that recalls the surface of the Moon.

A desert moonscape in the Cordillera de la Sal

Valle de la Luna lies west of San Pedro de Atacama in northern Chile, within the low ridges of the Cordillera de la Sal that rise from the wider Atacama Desert.Valle de la Luna is located 13 kilometres west of San Pedro de Atacama This salt mountain range forms a distinct belt of pale rock and mineral crusts between the high Andes and the desert plateau, and Valle de la Luna occupies one of its most accessible basins.Valle de la Luna lies west of San Pedro de Atacama in the Región de Antofagasta

The rock underfoot began as the floor of a basin that filled and evaporated again and again across geological time, leaving thick beds of halite, gypsum, clay and fine sand which were later folded and lifted by tectonic movements in the Andes.the basin of salt, gypsum and clay inside the Los Flamencos National Reserve Wind and the rare desert downpour have been carving this uplifted terrain ever since, cutting ridges, shallow canyons and slopes that give the valley its sculpted relief and its resemblance to satellite images of barren planetary surfaces.layers of sediment, salt and mineral-rich deposits were laid down and uplifted

Salt crusts, dunes and carved ridges

Across Valle de la Luna, sedimentary rocks composed of fine sand, clay and mineral layers have been sculpted into sharp crests, hollows and slopes which catch the desert light at different angles through the day.sedimentary rocks composed of fine sand, clay and mineral layers have been sculpted by wind and rare rain Stone and sand formations stand beside areas where salt has crystallised into a pale crust, so that some slopes appear dusted with white while others show ochre or grey bands in the exposed rock.various stone and sand formations and dry lakes with salt making a white covering layer

There are depressions where water once pooled and evaporated, leaving mineral-rich dry lakes whose surfaces now read as flat, bright patches inside the basin.covered by a vast white layer that originates from extensive dry salt lakes Elsewhere, dunes of fine desert sand rise against more solid ridges, and caverns open where softer material has been removed from between harder layers, giving a sectioned view into the geology of the Cordillera de la Sal.limolites and sandstones of the Miembro Río Grande form part of Valle de la Luna

A protected basin within Los Flamencos National Reserve

Valle de la Luna forms part of the Los Flamencos National Reserve, a protected area in the Región de Antofagasta that brings together several basins and salt flats around San Pedro de Atacama.Valle de la Luna is part of the Cordillera de la Sal belonging to the Los Flamencos National Reserve Within this reserve, the valley occupies a depression of mineral ground where salt, gypsum and clay are exposed at the surface and organised into ridges, terraces and hollows that can be seen from paths and viewpoints.the valley forms part of the Los Flamencos National Reserve

The wider reserve, including Valle de la Luna, has been recognised as a nature sanctuary since the late twentieth century, reflecting its scientific interest and its role as a representative slice of Atacama desert geomorphology.declared a Nature Sanctuary in 1982 Geological studies describe the valley and neighbouring basins as endorheic depressions, closed bowls where water has no outlet to the sea and instead evaporates in place, concentrating dissolved minerals into crusts and lenses that mark the surface.endorheic nature of the basin concentrates minerals

Visiting Valle de la Luna: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Valle de la Luna lies west of San Pedro de Atacama in northern Chile and is reached by road from the town, crossing the desert plateau towards the Cordillera de la Sal.
• The terrain in the valley includes compacted mineral ground, sand dunes and rocky slopes, so approaches on foot involve uneven surfaces and some short, sandy climbs.
• Valle de la Luna sits within the Atacama Desert at altitude, and pathways follow ridges and basin floors, with limited shade and broad exposures to the open sky.
• The valley is part of a national reserve with marked routes, and vehicle access and walking circuits focus on viewpoints over ridges, dunes and salt basins.
• The official language is Spanish and the currency is the Chilean peso. Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Valle de la Luna

Where is Valle de la Luna?

Valle de la Luna is in northern Chile west of San Pedro de Atacama, within the Cordillera de la Sal and inside the Los Flamencos National Reserve.

What should visitors expect on a visit?

Visitors encounter a compact desert basin with salt crusts, dunes, rocky ridges and dry lakes, viewed from paths and viewpoints laid out across the mineral landscape.

What makes Valle de la Luna distinctive?

The valley’s combination of exposed salt, gypsum and clay, sculpted by erosion into ridges and basins within a protected reserve, gives it a moonscape character in the Atacama Desert.