Paradise found
In northern Chile, there’s a place where you can get lost in the landscape and revel in the purity of an unspoilt world
The Atacama is one of the driest places on earth. In some parts, there hasn’t been a single drop of rain for more than 400 years, which is hard to imagine in the UK, where it’s considered a drought if the clouds don’t break for 15 days in a row.
Nestled between the Pacific and the Andes in northern Chile, this desert is an extreme environment made up of 41,000 square miles of sandy stretches, salt flats, rocky peaks and active volcanoes. Many compare its landscape to the surface of an extraterrestrial planet, and NASA uses it for practice missions to Mars.
To thrive here requires strength, resourcefulness and determination. Only a few living creatures call it home.
Even in our hyper-connected world, the Atacama remains pretty far off the beaten track. Getting here from London requires at least a 16-hour flight via Santiago, plus a few hours’ driving. Then, once you’ve arrived, there’s the question of travel between different locations, which requires arduous hiking and all-wheel power.
It makes sense that Audi would choose it as the test track for the international launch of its new flagship SUV, the Q8. At first, only a 286PS 3.0 litre TDI diesel engine will be available, but soon, a 3.0 TFSI petrol unit producing 340PS and a 231PS 3.0 TDI diesel block will join the line-up.
“There’s much more to the Atacama than meets the eye”
‘There’s much more to the Atacama than meets the eye,’ says expedition guide Danilo Olivares Hidalgo, who’s led us out into the wilderness at nightfall, under a bewitching canopy of stars. ‘Generally, people think a desert is an empty place with no interesting features, but it’s quite the opposite. The Atacama is home to a fascinating variety of different landscapes, plants and wildlife. To get the most out of it, you need to know how to look in the right places at the right time.’
For the duration of our stay, we’re based in the small town of San Pedro de Atacama, which proudly pays homage to its patron saint, Peter. This charming, bustling little town is made up of adobe mud houses and dusty streets. It’s a haven for backpackers and adventure lovers, but also caters for upmarket travellers.
‘San Pedro, like the other few small towns and cities in the desert, developed during the 1800s,’ explains Danilo. ‘At that time, great mineral riches were discovered here. Saltpetre was first, and that led to a war with our neighbour Bolivia. Then it was copper. When the extraction of that intensified, it led to the biggest open-pit mines in the world being carved into the earth in nearby Chuquicamata.’
Lithium – a key component in electronic devices, mobile phones and electric cars – is also found here in abundance. Growing global demand for the light metal is now attracting further exploration of the terrain and, with the use of lithium-ion batteries expanding rapidly, this is set to intensify in the future. The drive system in the Audi Q8 boasts new mild-hybrid technology (MHEV), integrating a lithium-ion battery and a belt-alternator starter (BAS) into a 48-volt primary electrical system. This means the dynamic SUV can coast at between 34 and 99mph with the engine disengaged, and then when required the BAS will restart the engine quickly and comfortably, saving considerable amounts of fuel.
But mines aren’t on our schedule. Instead, we’ve come to explore the wind-carved rock formations of the Valley of the Moon, from where it is possible to admire the huge diversity in the local landscape. As if on cue, the burning red sun suddenly punches its way above the high snow-capped mountains to the east and warm light floods the world. Before us unfolds a multitude of different sights: high, Arabian-style sand banks, rippled by the wind; pink, red and white rocky outcrops, bursting from the deep and reaching out towards the heavens with extended fingers; fields of boulders that look like marbles scattered by schoolchildren at play; and dry, dusty plains dissected by white rivers of salt snaking away in wild, generous curves.
But the fact we’re in a desert doesn’t mean there’s a total absence of water – liquid is actually all around us, below the surface of the rock. Underground rivers up in the mountains bring water down to the plains and plateaux, and as the heat of day rises, it quickly evaporates through the surface into the atmosphere. The result is that patches of ground look as though they’ve been dusted by a layer of icing sugar. On closer inspection, however, they reveal themselves to be perfect formations of salt crystals and calcite. Some are more intricate than cut diamond and sparkle just as brightly in the morning rays.
Danilo neatly sums up the origins of the geological diversity: ‘Everything you see around you is due to the volcanoes,’ he says, grinning and gesturing to the beautiful peaks that encircle us. ‘There are more than 2000 of them in Chile and they shaped our environment. The Atacama is a geological miracle that was created by the Nazca tectonic plate shifting. It rose up from the Pacific Ocean millions of years ago, and successive breaches created mountain ranges. That, combined with the cold Humbolt Current that reaches our coasts directly from Antarctica, created the different climate zones and landscapes. In a nutshell, the mountains on both sides of the Atacama stop any rain from ever reaching the desert.’
While the views are indisputably breathtaking, the high altitude is also literally making us gasp for air. San Pedro de Atacama is already situated at 2500m above sea level – that’s a height nearly twice that of Ben Nevis – but if you head into the mountains, you can quickly find yourself at more than 5000m. Hiking is hard-going in these conditions and, when you consider the rough terrain, it’s obvious that a 4x4 is essential for exploring the region. The Audi Q8 is an ideal companion. It can cope with the roughest of terrain while transporting passengers in the utmost comfort.
Its punchy V6 diesel unit delivers performance and 600Nm of torque to all four wheels via an eight-stage tiptronic system with fast and soft gear changes. Inclines are devoured, uneven road camber neutralised and slippery surfaces bested, thanks to a purely mechanical centre differential, which transfers the forces to the front and rear axles at a ratio of 40:60 as standard. When required, it transfers power with greater traction.
Inside the cabin, however, we are oblivious to the hard work being done by car. All we have to do is adjust the adaptive air suspension, which is electronically controlled via Audi drive select, and guide the car in the direction we want to go, using the dynamic all-wheel steering for extra stability. We’re also free to control the interior climate using the large touchscreen or advanced voice-command system, so we don’t have to take our eyes off the road and miss the stunning scenery.
“Local ingredients and flavours form a big part of our cuisine”
Danilo is extremely complimentary about the Audi – normally, he’d be driving his guests around in one of a fleet of vehicles from the Awasi Atacama hotel where we’re staying. As part of the all-inclusive service, and to help them make the most of all the region has to offer, everyone staying in this 10-suite complex is assigned their own guide and vehicle.
After a day’s adventuring, it’s a treat to come back to five-star comfort. On arrival, we’re handed warm towels with which to wipe our hands and faces, and staff serve us fresh glasses of cool lemonade infused with rica-rica, a minty herb that grows in the desert. While we relax in the outdoor lounge that surrounds the pool, we enjoy a cocktail and peruse the mouthwatering dinner menu, which is a
blend of South American and European cuisines, using the best ingredients and complemented, of course, by a long list of fine Chilean wines.
‘Local ingredients and flavours form a big part of our cuisine,’ says head chef Juan Pablo Mardones. ‘They’re delicious and play an important role in telling the story of our neighbourhood, giving our guests the full Atacama experience. The traditional people were much cleverer than us and found uses for everything around them. Each of the tough little plants you can see growing around here was used as foods, remedies or building material. Nothing went to waste and everything had a purpose.’
This thrifty approach is still evident today and, despite offering their guests a notably high level of luxury, the team at Awasi is careful to use its resources in the most sustainable way possible. Water is naturally one of their primary concerns, but a commitment to conservation runs much deeper.
‘Here at Awasi, we try to use the gifts of nature sparingly,’ says Juan Pablo. ‘Our hotel is developed according to a sustainable plan, which includes catering only for a small number at any one time. That keeps our environmental footprint down and also enables us to give those who stay here exactly the type of intimate experience that makes this part of the world incredible. Most nights, I feel as if I’m cooking for family or friends rather than hotel guests.’
This focus on sustainability is also shared by the local administration, which is trying to maintain a healthy balance between touristic development and local requirements. Catherine Vilches, co-ordinator of tourism at the San Pedro de Atacama Culture and Tourism Foundation, spends her days working with a variety of different stakeholders to ensure that things are done properly.
‘It’s essential that we ensure the area develops in a sustainable way, respecting not only the landscape but also the culture here,’ she explains. ‘Far too often, people seem to jump to the defence of industry and the economy, rather than the local environment or the local people. My job is to make sure we consider all angles before acting, and that everyone has a say. I spend my time working with local stakeholders to make sure they all understand the vital importance of sustainability. The Atacama is a fragile paradise and it could be ruined if development isn’t handled correctly.’
This last point rings particularly true, especially when we visit the Atacama salt flats and the flamingo sanctuary, which is best seen at sunset. In common with the other places one can visit in the region, you get a feeling here of being alone in the vast expanse of landscape. This is an open-sky cathedral for contemplation that would be ruined by unchecked industrial development or mass tourism.
Shallow lakes of standing water are framed by coral-like salt structures. As the sun starts to fade, the sky is illuminated by wonderful pastel colours – pinks, purples, oranges, blues and greys – all reflected in the silverine surface of the water and framed by soaring mountain peaks.
As we contemplate this mesmerising spectacle, we’re joined by a Chilean couple and their young daughter. The birds are performing the dance mimicking the flamenco that gives them their name, stomping the silt to stir up the food below. The toddler is fascinated and can’t take her eyes off them. She’s struggling to pronounce their name. ‘Flemingee! Flamonga! Fleminge! Flooomingooo!’ she tries, before finally getting it right, letting a little squeak of joy escape before breaking into a big, milk-toothed smile.
Learning to love this landscape and its pink inhabitants is an important lesson for her – and a vital one, if there’s to be a sustainable future here. Hopefully, when she grows up, she won’t forget these majestic pink creatures that call the desert home.
