Achaches lookout, El Valle de la Luna, Chile

© Ignacio Palacios/Getty Image

In the Valley of the Moon. El Valle de la Luna, Chile

El Valle de la Luna (the Valley of the Moon) is located in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The Achaches Lookout, seen here, offers breathtaking views of volcanoes in the distance. In 1982, El Valle de la Luna was declared a nature sanctuary for its stunning, untouched habitat and its peculiar lunar-like terrain.

This desolate landscape nestled in the Cordillera del la Sal (the Salt Mountain range) boasts giant dunes, steep canyons, and unusual stone, sand, and salt formations carved by wind and water. Nothing grows here—the Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on Earth—but the sunsets are said to be spectacular.