Stargazing

The Atacama Desert is one of the best places for stargazing in the world due to its clear skies, high altitude, and isolation from light pollution. So good is the stargazing here that San Pedro de Atacama is home to one of the world’s biggest space ventures, the international ALMA observatory.

While the naked eye is perfectly good for spotting constellations, planets, and shooting stars (there’s an average visibility of four every hour here), you shouldn’t miss out on an opportunity to look through one of the many powerful telescopes here. Luxury hotels sometimes have their own telescopes and outdoor observatories.

SPACE. SPACE (San Pedro de Atacama Celestial Explorations) offers one of the best astronomical tours in San Pedro. The complete darkness allows you to observe the night sky with the naked eye and through a dozen powerful telescopes. The tour finishes with an astronomy chat over hot chocolate. Popular with backpackers, tours are nightly (weather depending) and depart from the city center with native English-speaking specialist guides. 166 Caracoles, San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta, 1410000. 55/256--6278; www.spaceobs.com. From 25000 pesos (includes transport).