Who hasn’t dreamed of stepping onto Martian soil, of being on another planet? Visionaries like Elon Musk, with SpaceX, promise to bring us closer to the Red Planet within the next decade, sparking curiosity about what life beyond Earth might look like. But the wait doesn’t have to be long, because there’s a place on our planet that can transport you to Mars without leaving Earth’s atmosphere: the Atacama Desert in Chile. San Pedro de Atacama, a town surrounded by this vast desert, holds landscapes so breathtaking they’ll make you feel like a true space explorer.

Its scenery seems to be straight out of Mars, and interestingly, it’s one of the best places in the world for stargazing. In San Pedro, the red soil, rocky formations, and imposing silence transport travelers to a world that seems not of this planet.

Here are four places in San Pedro de Atacama where you’ll feel like you’ve landed on Mars.

Moon Valley

The Moon Valley, with its evocative name and surreal landscapes, is one of the gems of the Atacama Desert. When you arrive, you’ll be surrounded by giant dunes and salt-and-clay formations that look as though they were sculpted by extraterrestrial hands. This valley seems to have been shaped by centuries of wind and water, though, in reality, erosion and extreme climate did all the work, giving it that otherworldly look. During sunset, the Moon Valley is painted in reds, oranges, and purples, making it the perfect place to stroll among canyons and salt plateaus that crunch beneath your feet, offering an experience that, while earthly, feels galactic.

Piedras Rojas

The Piedras Rojas, or Red Rocks, are rock formations with reddish tones that take on a peculiar glow under the sunlight. Nearby, the turquoise highland lake glistens, creating a unique contrast. The rugged, red surface of these stones, combined with the deep, clear sky of the altiplano, makes this place a perfect spot to lose yourself in sci-fi landscapes. It’s not just a visually mesmerizing site but also a place to feel the vastness and serenity of a landscape that seems plucked from another planet.

Death Valley

The name says it all: here, life is scarce, and silence seems absolute, giving the area a cosmic sense of desolation. Also known as the Valley of Mars, Death Valley with its huge dunes and deep canyons of red rock looks like something out of an expedition to the Red Planet. The reddish, copper, and ochre tones dominate the landscape, and if you’re someone who craves a bit of adventure, you can try sandboarding on the dunes or simply take in the valley’s calm while the sun paints the sky in vibrant hues.

Rainbow Valley

While Mars isn’t exactly a place full of colors, Rainbow Valley transports you to a surreal version of the desert. This valley is famous for its mountains and hills that display an impressive variety of tones: reds, greens, yellows, and even violets. The colors in the rocks are due to the presence of various minerals, but the landscape is so unusual it feels like another reality. Walking through this valley, you’re surrounded by unique colors amid deep silence that invites introspection and immersion in the landscape. The changing tones with the light of day give it a mysterious aura, transforming every corner into an otherworldly space that any explorer would dream of discovering.

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