Located just 13 km from San Pedro de Atacama, Valle de la Luna (“Moon Valley”) provides a surreal experience that feels like stepping onto the moon. This breathtaking destination features rocky and sandy terrain, making it one of the driest places on Earth. Its unique landscape closely resembles the moon’s surface, making it a must-visit attraction in the Atacama Desert.
The valley is one of the driest places on Earth, resulting in a complete absence of life. This extreme environment is vital for researchers, including NASA, which tested a Mars rover here to simulate Martian conditions.
Table of Contents
How much time do you need to visit Valle de la Luna?
Half a day is sufficient to explore Valle de la Luna at your own pace. This allows you to soak in the breathtaking landscapes. Your entrance ticket also includes access to Piedra del Coyote, located a few kilometers from the valley entrance. This popular sunset spot often gets crowded with tour groups in the afternoon. Since it takes about 40 minutes by bike to reach, we chose to spend more time enjoying the stunning vistas of Valle de la Luna instead.
To ensure a smooth visit, check the official website for the valley’s opening hours, which vary by season. If you’re biking, entry is allowed until 11 am in winter and summer. Plan your visit accordingly to maximize your time in this incredible landscape.
What should I take with me?
Before leaving for Valle de la Luna, we stocked up on the best empanadas in San Pedro de Atacama. Make sure you have enough food and water with you, as in the valley there are no shops. Additionally, pack a sun hat, wind jacket, and a good amount of sun cream. The trails are exposed to sun and you want to avoid being sun-struck.
Ways to visit Valle de la Luna
There are different ways to visit the Moon Valley. One is by booking a guided minibus tour with an agency. In that case, the best time to go is in the afternoon, so that you can also enjoy the sunset. Otherwise, you can enter the area by car or bike. We personally really loved the idea of cycling in the desert, so opted for this way.
Valle de la Luna by Bike
Before sharing our experience, I want to give a quick disclaimer: our biking adventure wasn’t exactly pleasant. We rented two bikes from a random shop without checking for comfortable seats or proper gear, and that was a big mistake!
The first part of the ride was uphill and into the wind. This combined with inadequate bikes, really dampened our initial experience. However, once we overcame that challenge, we cycled through the rest of the valley and thoroughly enjoyed our time. If you don’t bike often, we recommend finding a comfortable bike! On a previous trip, we rented from Latchir and had a much better experience.
Itinerary & Map for Valle de la Luna
Getting to the main entrance to purchase tickets is straightforward. You’ll follow the main road, which is shared with cars, but there’s ample space on the side for safe cycling. Be sure to wear the high-visibility vest provided by the bike rental shop and stay close to the edge of the road for added safety.
Once we reached the main entrance and got the tickets, we were ready to go! The road is well tracked and the viewpoints are marked.
Duna Mayor
When buying the tickets, you’ll receive a map with the four main stops on the path. The first stop, la Duna Mayor, can be found around 7 km from the entrance. After parking the bikes, we followed the marked path to the top of the dune. The scenery with the sand and rocky formations left us speechless. Luckily, the bumpy road and the hard bike seats were still worth it for the view.
Tres Marias
We then decided to cycle straight to the end of the route, to the Tres Marias. These are stone formations that have eroded over the years, due to wind and sand. There also used to be a salt lake here, which is the reason for the white sediments on the surface.
Mina de Sal Victoria
After reaching the last stop, we slowly made our way back to the entrance of the valley. First though we stopped at the Mina de Sal Victoria, an old salt mine. Mirador Achachnes was unfortunately closed when we went there.
Is biking in Valle de la Luna worth it?
When planing to go to the Valle de la Luna by bike, here are some pros and cons to consider:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Much cheaper vs. organised tours | Bumpy road |
| Stop as often as you want | Bad bike = Bad experience |
| Less crowded | Be prepared to bike uphill |
| More flexible in terms of time | You might miss Piedra del Coyote |
| Easy to reach, close to San Pedro de Atacama |
At the end of the trip, we were really happy we decided to go by bike! Don’t misunderstand me, we still complained a lot about our decision and thought of giving up a couple of times. Looking back though, we couldn’t have chosen any better. We encountered few other bikers along the way, allowing us to fully enjoy the stunning landscape in peace before the tour groups arrived.
If you’re thinking “Why would I ever want to bike in the desert, if it’s this difficult?”, the answer is: because you’d never get another chance to bike in one of world’s driest places.
