![]() The island is as famed for its folklore and seafaring ways as it is for glorious countryside and hiking trails. Stepping off the boat and onto the main island of Chiloé feels like entering another world. I catch a tiny internal flight from Santiago to Puerto Montt, halfway down the long ribbon of Chile, then take a ferry from the mainland to the Chiloé archipelago, 1.5 miles away. ![]() ![]() Time to swap the stark beauty of the desert for the lush green landscape of Chiloé, Chile's most legendary island. At Ahlarkapin Observatory, owner Cesar uses a powerful telescope to show us far-off constellations, then explains the names indigenous people gave them. Huge international observatories that look like the lairs of James Bond villains are dotted across the desert, but smaller observatories are also open to amateur stargazers. When night falls, we head out to see the other side of the sun-scorched desert - Atacama's incredible night skies are some of the clearest in the world. Walking between the brick-red rocks and tall pillars of salt, which tick and creak ominously above us, is like being in an open-air natural cathedral.īack at Tierra Atacama, tired hikers kick sand out of their boots and sip pisco sours by cosy outdoor fire pits as the setting sun turns the volcanoes on the horizon flame red. We follow Tierra guide Jose down a barely visible path, half walking, half tumbling over sand dunes, then reach the weird semi-eroded stone and salt formations that give this place its lunar name. The next trail to conquer is the Kari route that winds through the Valle de la Luna, the 'valley of the moon'. When we climb back up to the open desert, the deep, narrow valley is perfectly hidden, as if it never existed. This is more scramble than trek - we climb rocks and jump over pools in the welcome shade of the walls of the canyon, the altitude squeezing at our lungs. The trail dips into a deep canyon dotted liberally with huge giant cacti called cardones that tower seven metres tall above our heads. My first hike is through the Guatin Valley. As soon as you arrive at the lodge, Tierra's expert hiking guides show you an enormous map of Atacama and recommend treks, cycle routes, or for anyone with time to acclimatize, hikes up the towering volcanoes that form the border with Bolivia.Ītacama, the highest desert in the world at 2,400 metres, is far from flat and featureless - explore it on foot and you'll find open valleys, craggy canyons and moon-like rock formations. It's tempting to just stay put, Chilean pisco sour cocktail in hand, but Tierra Atacama is also the perfect base for getting out and exploring the desert. Rooms are huge, painted in calming sand hues, and the gardens are vibrant and green against the ochre backdrop of sand and mountain. Tierra means 'earth' in Spanish, and the name perfectly matches the warm tones of this welcoming hotel, an eco-friendly architectural wonder looking out at the triangular peak of Licancabur volcano. My base is the Tierra Atacama hotel, an oasis in the dry desert. The tallest peaks of the Andes peek out of cloud cover as I fly from the capital, Santiago, to Atacama. My first sight of Chile's wondrous desert is from the plane. ![]() With just ten days to explore Chile on foot, I hiked the sun-baked northern deserts of the Atacama and the green and mythical Pacific island of Chiloé. Chile, an astonishing 2,653 miles long, is ribbon of a country where you can travel from the arid deserts in the north all the way to the glaciers of Patagonia in the southern tip, fitting vineyards, salt flats and surf beaches in between if you are so inclined. ![]()
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