Its limits are not exactly determined, but it lies mainly between the south bend of the Loa River and the mountains separating the … One of the best times to see the Atacama Desert is at sunrise, and luckily one activity allows you to do this from high above the earth. Birdlife. Silence and rugged mountains surround its spacious, comfortable rooms, each of which has a … The Atacama Desert is a small corner of the immense high plateau (altiplano in Spanish) that stretches east to the foot of the Andes and west and north into Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. Birding by the coastal wetlands of Maule Region. People live and work in the Atacama Desert, too. The Atacama Desert is one of the driest places in the world, as well as the only true desert to receive less precipitation than the polar deserts. According to estimates the Atacama Desert proper occupies 105,000 square kilometres (41,000 sq mi), or 128,000 square kilometres (49,000 sq mi) if the barren lower slopes of the Andes are included. Animals That Live in the Atacama Desert. Fauna. In this trip, we will travel in the surrounding areas of San Pedro de Atacama, through vast landscapes, volcanoes with snowy peaks, colorful lagoons and interesting species of birds and wildlife. The Atacama Desert (Spanish: Desierto de Atacama) is a desert plateau in South America covering a 1,000 km (600 mi) strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes Mountains. In Chile, a group of volunteer birders found the first-ever recorded nests of this mysterious bird 46 miles away from the coast in the Atacama Desert. A stay at the luxurious Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa allows you to get the most out of Atacama’s unique desert landscape, by staying right in the midst of it. TOP 5 PLACES TO VISIT IN THE ATACAMA DESERT, CHILE @Wanderlust Chloe. During that time, the population has declined by more than 80 percent, from at least 1,500 birds in 2003 to roughly 400 birds in 2012. The Atacama region of northern Chile is a place full of magic, wonder… and photos just waiting to be taken! One bird species that doesn’t seem to mind people are flamingos, and their nesting grounds are near the region’s famous Salar de Atacama, a large salt flat. Getting up early is the first premise to have a good day of bird watching, so I leave Talca when it is still dark and after an hour and a half by road I arrive at the wetland Putú when all the birds are singing and looking for their first meal of the day. The Atacama Desert is one of the driest places in the world, as well as the only true desert to … The Atacama Desert is the most arid place in the world, however, it is possible to find exuberant wildlife, and many species have adapted to survive in this harsh and dry environment.