With its 2700 miles of length, Chile has an enormous variety of landmass to explore. From the major metropolis of Santiago to Torres Del Paine in Patagonia, there truly is a region for every biome enthusiast. But among its plentiful natural wonders is the otherworldly Atacama Desert. Located in the north-east by the Bolivian border, the Atacama region sits at an altitude of 2400 metres and spans over 40,000 miles. These numbers explain the initial light-headedness you feel on arrival, but somehow still don’t accurately embody the vastness of this landscape.

Many tourists choose San Pedro De Atacama as their base, a lively village a few hours away from the city of Calama, home to the nearest domestic airport with regular flights to Santiago. I’d recommend renting a car from El Loa Airport to freely explore the breathtaking scenery (shuttle services are also available for non-drivers); many of my favourite moments were spent gawking out of the car windows at red-tinged canyons and herds of llama while googling ‘was The Martian filmed in Chile?’ (the answer is no but I think the location scouts missed a trick).     

Once in San Pedro, you’ll notice two things in abundance: charming adobe buildings and stray dogs. Enjoy the cuteness of the latter at a distance as you head to the hotel-heavy Caracoles Street (I stayed at Hotel Don Raúl which was excellent) where you’re only a short walk to the charming town square and many restaurants: Adobe serves a superb high-end meal and La Picada Del Indio is vibey and great value.

Top tip: local herbs like rica rica and coca (leaves from the cocaine plant, not actually cocaine) are natural remedies for altitude sickness (thanks to the Atacameños for figuring that out) so make sure you order them in every pisco sour. Or in tea form if you’re being sensible.

Souvenir shops and tour agencies dominate most of the streets (alongside the pooches). Agencies all offer similar services so take your pick and book onto an epic stargazing tour (there’s a reason so many space centres are located here) and a trip to see the geysers: prepare for an early start, high altitude and negative temperatures.

Other must-sees include the Puritama Hot Springs’ cascading pools each with their own waterfalls, and the Lagoons Of Baltinache, a beautiful salt-water bathing experience. The latter also doubles as a flamingo-spotting site at key moments of the year (we just missed them in late April). Finally, head to Piedra Del Coyote to watch the sun set over the valley and ogle at the endless beauty of this barren yet abundant desert.

Visit San Pedro De Atacama’s official tourist information site.