The Valley of the Moon (Valle de la Luna) at 2,500 meters (8,200 feet), San Pedro de Atacama, the Atacama Desert, Chile.

            Saw the unearthly landscape of the Valle de la Luna — the Moon Valley — on a tour from San Pedro de Atacama. One of the driest places on the planet, the valley is made up of dunes, caverns, sharp peaks and natural depressions, creating an unbelievable moon-like scene in the Salt Mountain Range. With an Argentinian guide, we explored the area on foot, checking out caves, canyons and climbing a dune for a sunset view that took our breath away.

The best place to enjoy the much anticipated Chilean sunset is in the Salt Mountain range, the location of the Mars and Moon valleys. The valleys contain a variety of stone, sand-like formations - a result of water and wind. As the sun sinks below the horizon, experience the wonder of the area and its close resemblance to the moon. 

In the evening, one of the most expected moments was the sunset and the best place to appreciate it is the mountain range of the Salt, with its Mars and Moon Valleys that are saline and sacrilegious conformations product of the mineralogical folding that has taken place for one hundred million years and that originated small mountains of capricious and sculptural forms that at sunset resemble a Lunar landscape.

Our journey began with pick up from your selected Hotel from 15:30 (summer time). We visited 3 main points, starting with a view to the Cordillera de la Sal in the Valley of death. Then we visited the Licanantay viewpoint where we could see the mountains of salt from above. Finally, we visited the Valley of the Moon, where 3 sites are visited.

First, a tour of the salt caves is subsequently the salt statues "Las Tres Marias" (not - they are destroyed by the heavy rain in February), the amphitheater and the large sand dune in the central part of the Moon Valley. 

We waited for the sunset at the Coyote stone (Mirador de Kari). After an incredible scenic sunset, we began the trip back to our Hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.

***

The chakana (or Inca Cross) is a stepped cross made up of an equal-armed cross indicating the cardinal points of the compass and a superimposed square. The square is suggested to represent the other two levels of existence. The three levels of existence are Hana Pacha (the upper world inhabited by the superior gods), Kay Pacha, (the world of our everyday existence) and Ukhu or Urin Pacha (the underworld inhabited by spirits of the dead, the ancestors, their overlords and various deities having close contact to the Earth plane). The hole through the centre of the cross is the Axis by means of which the shaman transits the cosmic vault to the other levels. It is also said to represent Cusco, the center of the Incan empire, and the Southern Cross constellation.

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Taken in: Chile / Antofagasta / San Pedro de Atacama / Collo (show map)

Taken on: February 17, 2019

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Sets appears in: • The Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna), San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.

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Camera:	Apple iPhone XS Max
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ISO:	25
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
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