How to get to Valle de la Luna, and the stops inside it

Where is Valle de la Luna, exactly? The communities that manage the gate place it in the Cordillera de la Sal, at 13 km to the west of San Pedro and 110 km south-east of Calama, in Chile's Antofagasta region.⁵ It is a sector of the Los Flamencos National Reserve, and CONAF lists it as sector 6, reached on secondary road 23-CH.⁶

On a map the valley is a band of pale, folded ridges between the town's oasis and the open desert. Its edges are close enough to see from San Pedro, yet once you are inside, the town disappears behind the walls of salt and clay. Chile Travel's attraction page gives 15 km on Route 23,⁷ while the same site puts the access at 13 km, which is the figure to use for the gate.¹

Several places around the world share the name, so be sure of the one you mean. The valley on this site is the Chilean valley, inside the reserve near San Pedro, protected as a nature sanctuary since 1982.⁸ Check the country and the town in any listing before you book.

Knowing how to visit Valle de la Luna well comes down to a simple idea: you drive or ride from trailhead to trailhead, and walk only the marked sectors. CONAF measures the inner vehicle road at 11.8 km and the full visit at 4 hours,³ while Chile Travel advises keeping at least 3 or 4 hours for the valley.²⁵ Along the road, signed parking areas mark the start of each walk.

Every walking sector has a controlled entrance. A ranger notes who you are at the start of each sector and talks you through the path,²⁶ and the paths are clearly signposted, with crossing their limits strictly forbidden.²⁴ Walkers may use these named sectors: Tres Marias, Mina Victoria, the Amphitheater, Duna Mayor and the Ckari viewpoint.²⁷

The trails can close without much warning. Blowing sand in winter and summer downpours can shut them, according to CONAF,²⁸ and leaving the paths, climbing rocks or riding down unauthorised areas is forbidden.²⁹ Chile Travel notes that Chilla and Culpeo foxes, thrushes and harriers live in the valley,³⁰ so keep any food sealed in your bag.

The Duna Mayor viewpoint is the walk most people remember. CONAF gives its trail as 919 m and 45 to 60 minutes, easy in summer and moderate in winter,¹⁶ and Chile Travel adds that walkers follow it in a fixed direction, with each group allowed up to 10 minutes at the top and the whole walk taking at most 40 minutes.²² From the crest you look down on the sand and across the folded ridges.

A shared valley tour builds its afternoon around this walk, with 40 minutes at Duna Mayor after a safety briefing of 10 minutes. The Amphitheater, a curved wall of eroded rock below the ridge, is another of the sectors open for walking,²⁷ and the Cornisa trail of 718 m follows the ridge line in 45 to 60 minutes, where CONAF warns of rockfall and strong winds carrying dust.¹⁸

For a longer outing, the Achache trail is the valley's big walk: 3 km and 3 hours by CONAF's figures,⁴ ending at a viewpoint over the valley floor. It suits early starts on a cool day, with plenty of water. In summer, when the sun is fierce by late morning, the shorter trails are the sensible choice, and an early return beats a long walk in the glare.

Not every tour sees the same valley. The tour sold on this site combines the Tres Marias, a viewpoint walk of 40 minutes, the cocktail break and the sunset at Kari, in 4.5 hours with pickup, from $60. The shared tour of 4 hours starts from an address in town and centres on the great dune, ending with a 70-minute hike at sunset, from $35.

Small groups trade price for space: a 5-hour tour is limited to 14 participants and includes pickup, from $44, and its listing warns that it involves moderate walking. By bike, an e-bike tour of 3.5 hours takes up to 5 riders, with pickup, from $120; you need to know how to ride a bicycle.

If you want a specific trail, ask before you book: the listings name their main stops, but the exact order changes with crowds, closures and the season. Rules apply to everyone whatever the tour: no food or alcohol inside the valley,⁵³ no stones or plants taken home,⁴⁸ and every scrap of rubbish taken away or sealed in the bins of each sector.⁴⁹