Road trips through the Atacama Desert (Chile)

The first week in Atacama was packed with trips.

We went mountain biking on the sand dunes.

We went on a tour with a guide to the salt lagoons, where we observed flamingos and floated in the water.

We also went on a two-day road trip with some people we met at the hostel. The trip took us to the Rainbow Valley (Valle de Arcoiris) and the Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna) where we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. On the second day, we drove over 4100m into the Andes to Piedras Rojas, which means red rocks. There, we were able to observe wild vicuñas (they belong to the alpaca family), donkeys, and giant running birds up close. The air became thinner up there, but we were still able to explore many breathtaking places.