Northern Chile

The north of Chile is blessed with an awesome landscape. Stretched out between the Pacific and the Andes is the most hostile desert on earth, the Atacama Desert. Most of the places there haven't seen a single drop of water since centuries. Life is found only in the Andes at altitudes higher than 3000 m (10000 ft).  Up there volcanoes of 6000 m (20000 ft) manage to squeeze some humidity out of the air. Geologically spoken northern Chile consists of a huge cone of lava and ashes which rises out of the Pacific Ocean and climbs all the way up to the snow-covered peaks of 6000 m (20000 ft) high volcanoes over a vast distance of 200 km (125 mi).

Towards central Chile the Andes tend to look more like the Rockies and the Alps as shown on some air photographs below. I shot these pictures on the flight from São Paulo to Santiago upon crossing of the mountains.

San Pedro de Atacama

San Pedro lies close to an oasis in the Atacama Desert on 2500 m (8200 ft) altitude. The village is not far from the Andes and therefore a nice place for trips onto the Andean highland.

Iquique and vicinity

Iquique is the biggest town in northern Chile lying on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The city owns a free port from which goods are transported by truck to the whole of northern Chile and over the 4000 m (13000 ft) high Andean passes to Bolivia.

Arica

The town of Arica faces the Pacific Ocean straight at the border to Peru. The city gets most of its resources from a big oasis nearby.

Putre and vicinity

Putre is the only village in the far north of the Chilean Andes offering some tourist facilities. It's nestled on the slopes of the Andes on an altitude of 3500 m (11500 ft). The village is nicely located for trips on the terrific Andean highland.