Discovering The Beauty Of Chile
Harper's BAZAAR Singapore|February 2023
Discover the beauty of Chile from the Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth, to the Lake District, a region of lush forests and clear glacial waters.
Eléonore Marchand
Discovering The Beauty Of Chile

Endless hues of beige and pink surround the quiet highway that crosses the Atacama, a thin 1,600km strip of desert in the northern half of Chile, located between the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Andes mountain range bordering Bolivia and Argentina to the east.

From a distance, tips of snow covering the mountains emerge as a surreal landscape, a striking contrast to the arid heat of the desert. A few llamas grazing on dry shrubs and bushes seem to be the sole sign of life in these harsh surroundings. Known as the driest non-polar desert on earth, some parts of the Atacama only experience rainfall every 20 to 100 years.

NASA, which likens it to Mars on Earth due to its barren soil, has been using the location to test instruments for future missions to the Red Planet, researching techniques for how to detect life in a seemingly sterile environment.

Due to its otherworldly appearance, it has been used as a location for movies such as Space Odyssey. And its extreme topography with vast salt flats and soaring volcanoes (including the highest active one on earth) has been a dream for geologists and archeologists. Just last August, scientists unearthed an ancient cemetery of flying reptiles that roamed the country more than 100 million years ago and lived alongside the dinosaurs. This very part of Chile also reported findings of mummies 2,000 years older than those in Egypt.

Beyond the enigmatic appeal of the Atacama Desert, there is the pure beauty of its overwhelming vastness, which fuels a desire to explore. Following an hour's drive from El Loa Airport in Calama, Chile-the best entry point to the Atacama Desert and an easy connection from the country's capital, Santiago-signs of life and greenery appear by a faint stream of water known as the San Pedro River.

This story is from the February 2023 edition of Harper's BAZAAR Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the February 2023 edition of Harper's BAZAAR Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM HARPER'S BAZAAR SINGAPOREView All
Artful Living
Harper's BAZAAR Singapore

Artful Living

Full of fine design details and exquisite artwork, this poetic apartment is a haven of calm.

time-read
5 mins  |
October 2024
Site Seeing On Set
Harper's BAZAAR Singapore

Site Seeing On Set

Bob Marley's Jamaican hideaway, the mountains in Mr & Mrs Smith, the Edinburgh of One Day and more... see the sights immortalised on film.

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
Bagging For An Expression
Harper's BAZAAR Singapore

Bagging For An Expression

Luxury handbags have become the canvas of choice for artists and art-lovers alike. Are they a new form of collectible art?

time-read
5 mins  |
October 2024
POLITICALLY CHIC
Harper's BAZAAR Singapore

POLITICALLY CHIC

In a year of major elections happening globally, Aaron Kok investigates the role that fashion plays in the arena of politics, and how it can be the make-or-break tool.

time-read
4 mins  |
October 2024
STRAPS OF STYLE
Harper's BAZAAR Singapore

STRAPS OF STYLE

The founders of local watch strap brand, Delugs, recount their backstage run-in with Ed Sheeran at his concert and their love for independent watch brands.

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
WEIGHING IN
Harper's BAZAAR Singapore

WEIGHING IN

Have we come to a point where weight loss injections and procedures are unavoidable?

time-read
4 mins  |
October 2024
FAIR TAKE
Harper's BAZAAR Singapore

FAIR TAKE

Why are Asians so obsessed with having fairer skin? Arissa Ha investigates.

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
ICONS ONLY
Harper's BAZAAR Singapore

ICONS ONLY

What makes an outfit live on in history? Which outfits changed the way we think about getting dressed? BAZAAR assembled a team of experts to determine some of the most iconic looks of all time.

time-read
4 mins  |
October 2024
MAN OF ACTION
Harper's BAZAAR Singapore

MAN OF ACTION

For actor and content creator Shawn Thia, change is nothing new. In fact, he welcomes it.

time-read
4 mins  |
October 2024
ALL EYES ON ELEANOR
Harper's BAZAAR Singapore

ALL EYES ON ELEANOR

The multi-hyphenated performer talks about fame, mental health and her growth in the spotlight.

time-read
5 mins  |
October 2024