Descending from the Altiplano to the Atacama Desert - the driest desert on earth stretching along the Chilean coast to the south - one encounters contradictory and unusual manifestations of water. Among these, the oasis of San Pedro de Atacama is an absolute "must" to visit; it was the center of a Paleolithic culture that built impressive rock fortresses on the steep mountains encircling the green valley. It contrasts with the eerily silent landscape of the nearby Valley of the Moon with its tiny but beautiful salt ponds and the backdrop of snow-capped volcanoes. At the huge Atacama Salt Lake, a former inland sea formed millions of years ago; it is a unique experience to view the vast plain of salt crusts with its octagonal-shaped crystals and to admire the lagoons reflecting the towering volcanoes. The El Tatio Geysers are another highlight; they are a geothermal field of fumaroles, small geysers, multicolored craters and nearby hot springs inviting you to a comforting bath. What a variety of forms and states water can take in the world's driest desert! Another rewarding

destination is the Los Flamencos Natural Reserve at 100 km / 65 mi south of San Pedro with its pleasant highland lagoons Miscanti and Miniques; flocks of flamingoes and rare birds can be observed on their breeding grounds here. Coastal Antofagasta is the largest city of the region, a product of the mining boom that hit the region in the 19th century. With 20 km / 12 miles of beachfront and a mild, dry climate, Antofagasta has also developed as a year-round beach resort. The highlight of its shoreline is the Portada, an enormous rock located just to the north of the town which the sea steadily eroded into a dramatic natural arch. Antofagasta is the port for copper mined in Chuquicamata - the largest openpit mine in the world.