The fuscous-brown desert is torturing me. I neither see man nor beast for miles in every direction. The harmful rays of the sun are bouncing off the sand with cankerous heat for which I have no shelter from. Maybe the heat is causing my insanity because I see vultures soaring above the skies just waiting to feast on my parched remains.
I took the last swig of water from the plastic Sprite bottle strapped to the bicycle frame by a shoelace — a bicycle that’s about to fall apart.
Cracked And Dry
Crap. Lost in the driest most hostile place for life on the planet without water and bike about to fail, and all I can think of was.
What a spectacular place!
I like deserts. They’re cool. I make a yearly pilgrimage to Death Valley National Park. I’m just not fond of the searing heat of the sun. I have a particular phobia of meeting my demise dried up like a prune under the desert sun. That’s just an agonizing and slow death. Heck, I’m scared of raisins. So never in my better days would I have ever attempted to traverse the driest place on the planet by bike. I visited San Pedro De Atacama intending to explore the Valle De Luna because of its unique landscapes and features.
It is the driest place on Earth
The area is so arid that it is devoid of life. The environment is very unforgiving. It’s like being on one of the very first manned missions on Mars. I had every intention of exploring the Atacama with the comfort of a guided tour. Guided tours aren’t always my thing, but I don’t like becoming a raisin even more. I can enjoy being on Mars with air conditioner, cold drinks, and delicious snacks.
Driest Place On Earth
Upon arrival at the San Pedro De Atacama terminal. I searched for a suitable tour guide, and that’s when I met Mindaugas. He asked me a question in Spanish. I responded with a confused nod and a lost look on my face. In English then. He came from Lithuania and is in Chile on a grant to work on a startup project. He is in San Pedro De Atacama for a quick escape from his busy life in Valparaiso.
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Mindaugas and Bikes
Valle de la Luna meeting
Mindaugas works in music technology. He has ideas from a motion-tracking sensor that creates sound from gestures to scratching devices you can attach to a bicycle wheel. It seemed like a creative guy who looked more like an eccentric hipster than a desert bike demon.
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Mindaugas mentioned that he had a friend who’s toured the Valle De Luna by bike and suggested we do the same. I haven’t ridden a bike in over a year. Riding through the driest place on earth seems crazy. Mindaugas is convinced it’s the best way to explore it. I figured what the heck? It’d be an adventure. Besides, it would only be about a 30km round trip. Right? What could go wrong?
Sad bikes
We mulled about sleeping under the stars in the desert. It is the driest place on earth, so it wouldn’t rain on us. A sleeping bag without a tent would suffice. We found a shop that will rent the bikes for$8,000 CLP for 24 hours. The bikes are in a sad state. They look like they’ve been through a firefight in the deserts of Afghanistan or something. Some have frames ready that looked like they’re held together by duct tape.
Pro Tip: Read my Best Touring Bike Guide to help you navigate the world of adventure bikes.
The entrance to the Valle De Luna is only about 5km away from the town center. However, it’s very windy, dry, and you’ll be sweating from the cycling activity. It’s so dry that every moisture in your body dissipates in an instant.
Tip: If you’re planning to bike the Valley De Luna, plan accordingly. Carry more water than you think you need and bring sunblock.
The Long Desert Road
I was rusty with riding a bike. The unpaved and undulating roads didn’t help with the matter. The bike seats were horrendous and hard. It felt like I was sitting on granite boulders. There’s a CH$2,000 entrance fee to the park, and from here there’s a 20-minute ride to the first attraction, Cuevas del sal. You’ll need a flashlight of sorts to hike around the dark corridors or follow the other tourists who have headlamps. There’s not much to see here, but you can, at least, enjoy running around lost in a salt cave.
The ever-changing landscape
This part of the Valle de la Luna comprises of salt stones with surreal mountains that look like they are of extraterrestrial origin. The road to the next stop is the toughest of the part of the trek. It’s a short climb but one that opens up to a steep plateau. I’ve had to walk my bike up 5 minutes into the ride. Mindaugus seemed to have an easier time, but he too eventually succumbed to the steepness.
We took a break after we cleared the steep part and took pictures. The landscape transformed before our eyes. It’s a desert with dunes and wind-sculpted sandstones. The volcano Licancabur can now be seen jaunting over the horizon behind us. It feels like we landed on the moon.
Peace Out
We explored a flat area with undulating dunes. Not even 20 minutes later and we heard a loud honking from a car. Here comes a tour guide, or he could have been a ranger, waving and yelling. He screamed something in Spanish, and I couldn’t understand.
Mindaugus conversed with the guy in Spanish. I guess we weren’t supposed to walk in the area and make footprints. We saw no sign, so we explored.
There are several stops you can explore on foot. There’s a natural amphitheater where you can see the entire valley, and there are remnants of salt mines and mining houses. The trail meanders around in a loop with a locked gate by the strange rock formation called “Tres Hermanas.”
That’s when shit hit the fan
Mindaugas circumvented the locked gate and proceeded down that unknown road. I was too busy taking pictures of the “Tres Hermanas.” to notice him slip by. I turned around, and he was already jamming’ downhill into wherever desert abyss the road will take him.
Three Sisters (Tres Hermanas) Valle de La Luna
The road doesn’t look inviting. It’s steaming asphalt with rock salt and pebbles. I motioned him to come back up to no avail. He went on further and went into another gate with some construction workers. I saw them talking, and they let him through. I followed shortly. To where? Who knows? I checked my sprite bottle, and there were only a few swigs left. I looked ahead, and all can I see it is a vast expanse of sand and dirt.
Are we going to ride through this?
We trudged on and continued up a mixed dirt and asphalt road for another 15 kilometers. The trail was a constant climb uphill, and I’m down to my last drop of water. Mindaugas, who probably trained for the Tour de France, is now disappearing beyond the horizon. Suddenly, I was alone in the desert without water.
Nobody Around For Miles
After another hour of the exhausting ride, I can see signs of civilization. Just a mile ahead was the Highway my bus took to get to San Pedro.
I was ecstatic
At least, for now, I would not be claimed by the Atacama! I caught up with Mindaugas, who’s snacking on raisins on the side of the road like it’s just a Sunday ride at the park. After a little break, we continued up the highway, which was another steep climb.
I was exhausted
I couldn’t pedal anymore, and I walked the bike at least 2 miles up the hill and reached a plateau. From here, the views of the Quebrada Del Diablo opens up beyond the horizon. At that moment. I knew why I agreed to go on this grueling bike ride in the most hostile desert in the world. Suddenly, my spirit was lifted. Thirst and leg cramps floated out to a distant memory.
I was amazed!
From here, it was the most enjoyable ride of the entire trek — an easy downhill skid to San Pedro De Atacama where a hot meal and cold beer is waiting.
Valle De Luna
How difficult is it?
Ok, maybe I was a bit melodramatic with my story, but touring Valle De Luna by bike is only about 30km in total. It’s only when you include the Quedabra del Diablo that things get more challenging. If you’re reasonably fit and not bother much by heat, go do it. The views are unforgettable. The bizarre landscapes are something that will be etched in your memories forever. There’s nothing else like it.
Side trip: Check out Pucara de Quitor ruins. We discovered it by accident. We took the wrong route towards Valle de Luna and ended up here the day before. It’s a good but tiring hike. Bring lots of water.
Pukara de Quitor Ruins
Want to Tackle the Valle de la Luna by bike yourself?
- From Santiago, you can take an airplane to Calama. From Calama, it’s just a 98km bus ride to San Pedro. There are five daily flights from Santiago, and airfare can be expensive. The route I took is by bus, and it’s a 20-hour bus ride, but doing this way is cheaper. You can sleep on the bus, and that alone saves you a night’s worth of accommodation. I recommend the full Cama for a comfortable ride.
- In San Pedro, several tour companies offer different services, including bike rentals. The town center is small, and the tour companies are practically next to each other so shop around.
- Try to ride in the morning. The wind picks up from the north in the afternoon, or you’ll ride against the wind. Bring layers of clothing. Though it’s a desert, it can get freezing quick.
Bikes, heat strokes, and sunburns not your thing? Check out these tours:
Travel Resource & Planning For The Atacama Desert
Here are some handy guides and tips to help you plan and travel for the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Packing Guide
Check out my gear guides to help you pack right for your trip. Rolling luggage isn’t ideal in the Atacama, but a travel backpack is. A good camera and other cool travel accessories.
Flight Booking
Catch cheap flights on Skyscanner to Chile. This is my favorite flight search engine. Also, read which days are most economical to book your flights or how to land cheap mistake fares.
Accommodation
I use Booking.Com to book all my hotels and hostels. I also use Airbnb to rent apartments from locals, and you can even find some in the Atacama Desert! Get up to $55 Airbnb credit when you sign up!
Getting Around
I use Booking Buddy to find cheap car rental overseas. Sometimes I use bikes and scooters to get around, and I rent them via Bikes Booking, which gives reasonably competitive rates.
Insurance
I always recommend having your trip covered in case of unfortunate incidents. World Nomads is an excellent place to start, and they’ve never let me down. I’ve also used Travelex and Roam Right in the past; both are good options. Do some comparison shopping and find the one that caters to your trip best.
Best Guide Book – DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Chile and Easter Island
Recommended Reading – Atacama Desert
Budgeting
If you’re not a trust-fund kid or want to travel on a budget, check out my guide on how to go cheap (and sometimes free!), also don’t forget to read my in-depth guide on how to budget for travel to save you a lot of time and money.
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Wow, quite the adventure! I’m not sure I would be jumping at the chance, but it sounds like a unique and unforgettable experience that taught you a lot.
It was! But not a big fan of mountain biking in the desert after that :)
I really enjoyed exploring Valle de la Luna last summer! Such a stunning place! We didn’t explore it by bike, which I’d love to do if I get back there! Your ‘peace out’ photo is awesome! Haha
Hahaha! It was so prominent in the landscape :) Definitely bike it if you go back!
What an experience this must have been and adventure to boot. Yes the landscape looks like something they would film an out of space movie in its spectacular. Sorry to hear the bikes were no good I have a TREK mountain bike and i love it, mind you it does not tackle this sort of terrain. I hate doggy rental places and anywhere that takes advantages of tourist these people need to wake up and realize that tourist are there meal tickets.
Yeah, there’s a lot of scams in South America. But you can avoid most by doing a little research and reading travel blogs :)
This truly does look like Mars. Like a place for a film set. Sounds like a once in a lifetime experience, but maybe once was enough.
Wow, what a beautiful place, but I have to say, I don’t think I could bike it. I appreciate you doing the hard work and sharing it with me!
“Jipped” doesn’t exist. The word you want is “Gypped” – see http://www.dictionary.com/browse/gyp?s=t
Thank you, Nicole! Duly noted and corrected. I’m glad that you pointed that out. Others would’ve just ignored it :)
You are absolutely nuts!!
In the best possible way :)
Better nuts than bored :)
Now we talking. I love cycling but its been a while since I done some crazy mountain biking and would love to tackle this terrain. I bet you were seriously tired afterwards. Just hope you drank a lot of water if the air is that dry there :D
Funny, I drank a lot of cold soda when I got back to town instead of water!
That opening shot of the cracked red earth is simply stunning. It would certainly have turned me back from heading out by bike. So strange that it is so arid that it is devoid of life. No cactus at all! I really give you credit for doing this ride. But I am sure the surrealistic landscapes made everything worth it.
Yes, the amazing landscapes were all worth it. It is the driest place on Earth so life has a hard time making a foothold!
You have my deep admiration for attempting visiting Valle de la Luna, particularly on a bike you weren’t familiar with and one in less than stellar shape. I’m with you– not a fan of the searing heat, but I also love the desert. I’m also not great on bikes. The views you revealed are gorgeous, but I think I’d need to do some training before attempting it. Well done, you!
I’m not the best on bikes but once you get going the mind takes over. The views are simply spectacular!
I was literally thirsty and parched just reading this post! It sounds like it was worth it in the end, but it’s my fear to be without water, so I can understand your dramatic tome! Mindaugas sounds like a hilarious fellow, and a fast cyclist – I would’ve been left behind much earlier than you!
The high elevation doesn’t help up there, you definitely get winded down faster. Didn’t seem to affect Mindaugas though!
Valle de Luna looks wild! It’s incredible how the landscape transformed so many times throughout your ride. I would love to explore there by bike too, but will definitely plan to bring a lot of water :D Your tip about the Pucara de Quitor ruins sounds really amazing too. What an adventure!
Yes, definitely bring lots of water and SPF lotion :)
You are quite brave to have gone into that heat with not enough water. We biked through the desert a couple of years ago and it was crazy hot. And we had much more water that you did and even that wasn’t enough. Good for you and you survived!!, Atacama desert is quites something and a unique experience!
Wouldn’t be my first choice but hey, you only live once!
That’s quite the adventure! I admire your gumption. I’d never bike but would love to visit the Atacama and the Valle de la Luna. Pity that your guide didn’t follow the restrictions. This space is delicate and footsteps can lead to dire consequences like water diversion and erosion.
There are no restrictions and there’s no water to divert.
Wow! What a crazy adventure!! From the first paragraphs I just had to read it all! I think I would go nuts with the desert heat and so few water. Glad it all turned out ok and you were able to tell the story.
If I had my own bike it would have been easier, but this adventure was just plain fun as it was. Broken bikes and all :)