Valle de La Luna (Moon Valley): Located 13 miles (19 km) from San Pedro de Atacama and declared a sanctuary of nature, the Moon Valley is formed by a depression surrounded by small hills with stunning sharp ridges formed by the wind, like Las Tres Marias and the Amphitheatre.
This valley is beautiful and is named for its resemblance to a lunar valley. It is an amazing geological site situated at 7,500 ft (2,550 m) above sea level, formed 22 million years ago. Today, the valley forms an astonishing group of folded sedimentary rocks with salt, gypsum, and clay. The action of wind and other atmospheric agents have carved sculptural forms, mounds and hollows that make it a rare landscape, unique in our country.
The absence of plants and animal life and the lack of moisture make it one of the most inhospitable corners of the earth.
Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley): Located 2.5 mile (4 km) from San Pedro de Atacama, Death Valley’s geological origin is a lake, in which ancient horizontal layers of sediment and rock, dating back some 23 million years ago, were pushed and folded by movements in the earth’s crust that lifted the Andes, leaving some layers vertically. The Cordillera de la Sal has been shaped over time by rain and wind, giving rise to stunning shapes and mineral gleams, made of salt, gypsum and clay hills, spectacular natural sculptures and varied natural colors.