The vast and colorful Atacama Desert is said to be the driest desert in the world. In some parts of this desert, no precipitation has ever been recorded.

The Altiplano, on the other hand, receives tropical rains in January and February. Altitude, rather than aridity, is the limiting factor governing life on this airy plateau: only the hardiest and most highly specialized flora and fauna can survive the vagaries of life above 12,000 ft.

Speckled with lakes, marshes, salt flats, and geysers, crowned by 20,000 foot volcanoes, the Altiplano is Chile's link with the great civilizations of the Central Andes. Today, a traditional society of Aymara Indians wanders the Altiplano with their domesticated llamas and alpacas, congregating periodically for festivals in eerily whitewashed 'ceremonial villages'. A system of spectacular national parks -- including Lauca National Park, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve -- protects vast expanses of this singular landscape.