Atacama Desert: Tatio Geysers & Machuca Village, San Pedro de Atacama

The Atacama Desert abounds with geologic wonders, and discovering them is why travelers visit this region of northern Chile. You'll find one such gem, the Tatio Geysers, located about 1.5 hours from the town of San Pedro de Atacama. At an altitude of 4,320 meters (14,173 feet), these are the highest geysers in the world. It's best to arrive early, at sunrise, as the contrast between the cold early morning temperatures outside and the boiling water of the geothermal field beneath the earth's surface causes the pillars of steam to rise as high as 10 meters (30 feet). There are also geothermal pools at Tatio, and visitors can take a soak and relax in this version of mother nature's jacuzzi.

On the return drive to San Pedro, there's a stop at Machuca, a small, humble village on the Altiplano whose residents have bred llamas and harvested Yareta (moss-like evergreen plants that can survive for thousands of years) for generations. It's a small but welcoming town, comprised of only about 20 homes and a simple chapel. That said, some locals sell crafts, and it's possible to snap photos of the llamas in the area as well as the flamingos that reside in nearby marshlands.