This tour takes you in an amazing journey through the Salt Mountain Range, here you can observe an geological phenomenon of enormous mineral sculptures formed by wind and rain. You will visit a nice viewpoint, the Valley of the Death and the valley of the Moon.  

VALLEY OF THE DEATH

On this range, located 2 kilometers to the west of San Pedro de Atacama, you can observe a geological phenomenon of enormous mineral sculptures formed by the wind and rain. Its geological origin comes from an emerged lake, where the old (ancient) horizontal layers of sediment and rock, dating at around 23 million years, were pushed and folded by the movements of the Earth’s core, lifting the Andes Mountain Range, and leaving some layers in a vertical position. The Salt Mountain Range has been shaped throughout time by the rain and the wind, giving rise to enormous shapes and mineral brilliance made up of salt hills, gypsum and clay, spectacular natural sculptures, of various colors as a result of the minerals that form part of this natural attraction.

MOON VALLEY

This site, located 19 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama, was declared a Sanctuary of Nature. Its landscape resembles the surface of the moon with small but sharp crested hills formed by the wind, such as the three Maria’s and the amphitheater. 

This valley, located on the Salt Mountain Range bordering the Salar de Atacama, is beautiful for its resemblance to the surface of the moon. This geological site situated at 2,550 meters above sea level, formed 22 million years ago when the folding of the upper strata of the earths crust began to take place. The volcanic activity of the time deposited bits of rock and ash on these folds. Today it is made up of sedimentary rocks with fragments of salt, gypsum, chlorate, borate, and clay. The wind and the atmospheric conditions have carved sculpture shapes with sharp crests, hilltops and waves that transform the landscape into the most extraordinary in our country. The absence of animal and vegetable life as well as the lack of humidity, make this the most inhospitable corner on Earth.