Desert Bloom, the Most Beautiful Spectacle in the North of Chile

Photo: @cactusexplorer_

Spring arrives in our country and the north of Chile blesses us with one of the most astounding spectacles seen in our territory: the desert bloom, an amazing scenery of vibrant colors.

Are you a flower lover? This magical period of desert bloom invites you to discover a great variety of flora, such as yellow and red añañucas, huillli with white flowers, patas de guanaco (Rock Purlsane) with fuchsia colors, and lilac/light blue suspiros.

📸: @viru.89

A Unique Phenomenon

Did you know that Chile is the only country in Latin American that has a desert bloom? Indeed! That is why we take care of it like a treasure. The first thing you should bear in mind if you want to visit the desert bloom at its best, is to care for the flora and fauna that inhabit this place. Do not cut, step or pull out flowers from their roots to take them with you, as these flowers do not grow in any other environment.

In addition, you should walk attentively on the interpretative trails within the parks or routes that present this beautiful spectacle, in order to protect further this vast veil of colors that covers up this part of the Atacama Desert.

📸: @annecharlotte239

The Best Sceneries

One of the best sceneries of the desert bloom in Chile is the Copiapó – Vallenar route. Here you can see the aridity of the hills and meadows, which in certain periods are covered by a mist called camanchaca that helps maintain the humidity of this place, making the area bloom after heavy rains.

📸: @almacosmica1

On this route you will find the Quebrada de los Sapos (“The Toads’ Ravine”) y Chehueque, the favorite sites to admire the diversity of these colorful flowers. A must-see if you want superb pictures!

But if you have the time to go on a full-on route and see all the variety that the desert bloom in Chile has to offer, you should visit all the Pajonales slope, El León ravine, Copiapó and Chañaral.

📸: @somoschile.viajeros

Furthermore, 90 kms to the northeast of Vallenar, the Llanos de Challe National Park is located. Here you can find a great biodiversity and a desert full of life, where guanacos, chilla and culpeo foxes, and birds are the first spectators of the desert blooms that occur every season.

📸: @ j.e.s.s.y_ng

Another beautiful place, perfect for appreciating the impressive desert bloom in Chile, is the Pan de Azúcar National Park, which excels in the protection of native flora and fauna.

Here you can find a variety of cetacean vegetation, one being Copiapoa. This particular plant is a species of cactus present in almost the entire area, which you can observe while walking the trails of Las Lomitas and the Pan de Azúcar viewpoint.

If you continue along the towns of Totoral, Travesía, Carrizal Bajo, Huasco, Caleta Barco and Piedras Puntadas, until reaching Puerto Huasco, you will see a multicolored landscape that will envelop you with its marine breeze, beautiful yellow lilies and striking orejas de zorro (fox ears), which will surely be the protagonists of your photographs, along with the wild dunes that invite you to an adventure full of color and tranquility.

Do not miss the opportunity to visit this fantastic scenery, considered national heritage for its rich flora that when you visit it, it will transport you to another planet. It is therefore imperative that we all value moments like this by practicing sustainable and conscious tourism.

Main photo: @cactusexplorer_