Valle de la Luna, Desert valley in Atacama region, Chile
Valle de la Luna is a depression in the Cordillera de la Sal, where mineral formations have been carved by wind and temperature swings over millions of years. The valley displays a range of colors, layers, and caves formed from different rocks and mineral compositions.
The site formed over millions of years through geological processes that made the valley resemble Mars more than anywhere else on Earth. In the 1980s, researchers recognized it as an ideal location for testing Mars exploration vehicles.
The Atacama indigenous people performed ceremonies in this valley and held the salt formations and caves as sacred natural sites. This spiritual connection still shapes how visitors approach and experience the landscape today.
Entry requires advance booking and visitors should bring plenty of water, especially during warmer months. The best times to explore are early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is lower and the landscape shows more dramatic colors.
Dried salt lakes cover the valley floor with white deposits that resemble moon craters from above, inspiring the valley's name. This white layer contrasts sharply with the red and orange rock formations surrounding it.
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