Bengal Insight

Tag: Atacama Desert

  • Chile Travel Guide: Why the world’s driest desert feels like another planet

    Chile Travel Guide: Why the world’s driest desert feels like another planet

    Chile is often described as one of the most unusual countries in the world, and for good reason. Stretching over 4,000 kilometres along South America’s Pacific coast, it offers an incredible mix of landscapes , from the world’s driest desert and snow-covered mountains to colourful coastal cities and volcanic terrain. For travellers looking for something beyond the usual beach or city holiday, Chile feels like stepping into another world.

    Atacama Desert is unlike anywhere else on Earth

    The biggest highlight of Chile is the Atacama Desert, widely recognised as the driest non-polar desert on Earth. Some parts of this vast desert receive almost no rainfall for years, creating dramatic landscapes of rocky valleys, giant sand dunes and salt-covered plains. Scientists have even compared parts of the Atacama to the surface of Mars because of its extreme conditions.

    The desert is also one of the best places in the world for stargazing. With almost no light pollution and exceptionally clear skies, visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of the Milky Way and countless stars throughout the year.

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    Salt lakes, geysers and flamingos add to the magic

    The Atacama is much more than a dry landscape. The region is filled with natural wonders, including vast salt flats, colourful lagoons and bubbling geothermal fields. Salar de Atacama, the country’s largest salt flat, is home to lagoons where pink flamingos gather in large numbers.

    Travellers can also visit the El Tatio Geysers, one of the world’s highest geyser fields, where steam rises dramatically at sunrise. Nearby hot springs and mineral-rich lakes offer a completely different side of the desert’s beauty.

    Valparaíso brings colour to Chile’s coastline

    After exploring the desert, the coastal city of Valparaíso offers a striking contrast. Built across steep hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the city is known for its colourful houses, vibrant street art, historic funiculars and creative neighbourhoods. Every corner feels artistic, making it one of Chile’s most photographed destinations.

    Santiago combines city life with mountain views

    Chile’s capital, Santiago, blends modern architecture with spectacular views of the Andes Mountains. The city serves as a gateway for hiking, skiing and vineyard tours, while museums, markets and food streets showcase Chile’s rich culture and cuisine.

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    Why Chile deserves a place on your travel bucket list

    Few countries pack so much natural diversity into a single destination. Whether it’s watching flamingos in a salt lake, exploring one of the driest places on Earth, wandering through colourful hillside streets or gazing at a sky full of stars, Chile offers experiences that are both dramatic and unforgettable. Its unique landscapes and cultural charm make it one of South America’s most rewarding travel destinations.

  • No rain, no flowers — until El Niño: Why Atacama is suddenly blooming

    No rain, no flowers — until El Niño: Why Atacama is suddenly blooming

    For much of the year, Chile’s Atacama Desert is defined by cracked ground, bare slopes, and an almost complete absence of rain. This month, parts of that landscape look very different.

    Vast patches of violet and white flowers have appeared after unusually heavy rainfall linked to El Niño, reviving a natural phenomenon known as the “Desierto Florido,” or flowering desert.

    The bloom is already visible in parts of the Atacama region, while Chilean authorities expect the display to reach its peak in October.

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    The secret beneath the sand

    Atacama rainfall crossed 180 millimetres in some areas | X (@fascinatingonX)
    Atacama rainfall crossed 180 millimetres in some areas | X (@fascinatingonX)

    The reason lies beneath the desert floor. Seeds and bulbs from roughly 200 plant species can remain dormant for long periods, waiting for enough moisture to return.

    When significant rain finally reaches the soil, some of these plants germinate almost at once.

    This creates the sudden carpets of color that have made the Atacama bloom famous. The Chilean government says more than 200 plant species may emerge during the 2026 season, along with an ecosystem of insects and vertebrates that becomes active around the flowering plants.

    Quite a lot of rain for a desert

    More than 200 plant species can lie dormant beneath the Atacama Desert, waiting for the rare combination of moisture, heat and light | X (@cirosalla)
    More than 200 plant species can lie dormant beneath the Atacama Desert, waiting for the rare combination of moisture, heat and light | X (@cirosalla)

    This year’s trigger has been the extraordinary amount of water reaching northern Chile. In some parts of the region, seasonal rainfall has exceeded 180 millimeters.

    César Pizarro, head of biodiversity in Atacama at Chile’s National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), told AFP that such levels “had never been recorded before.”

    The rain also penetrated deeper into the sand than usual, allowing more vegetation to emerge.

    According to CONAF forecasts cited by Chile’s tourism agency Sernatur, the phenomenon could manifest across an area of up to 15,000 square kilometers, although that is a projection for the potential extent of the phenomenon rather than a claim that the entire area will be covered with flowers at the same time.

    El Niño conundrum

    El Niño is known for reshaping weather far beyond the Pacific | X (@theinformant_x)
    El Niño is known for reshaping weather far beyond the Pacific | X (@theinformant_x)

    This phenomenon raises a question. Why did El Niño bring so much rain to a desert famous for its extreme dryness?

    El Niño is a climate pattern associated with unusually warm surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. That warming can alter atmospheric circulation, shifting rainfall and temperature patterns across distant regions.

    The World Meteorological Organization said in September that the 2026 El Niño was strengthening and was expected to become a very strong event. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center also put the chance of a very strong event above 90% for the Northern Hemisphere autumn and winter.

    Beauty and the beast

    The striking bloom, however, is only one side of this unusual weather.

    The heavy July rains also caused deadly disruption elsewhere in Chile, with at least 13 people killed and around 4,000 homes destroyed or badly damaged.

    In Atacama, the same unusual burst of moisture has instead activated dormant plant life and drawn visitors hoping to see the short-lived spectacle.

    CONAF officials have urged tourists to remain on established paths, avoid stepping on plants, and not remove flowers or seeds.

    This spectacular flowering relies on a combination of factors beyond just rainfall. As Gabriela López of CONAF put it, the flowering desert depends not just on rainfall but also on soil absorption, temperature, and solar exposure.

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