One Of The World's Most Outrageous Landscapes Is This Lunar Rock Valley In Bolivia

Unearthly landscapes litter Bolivia's Andean plateau several thousand feet above most of the rest of the world. With rose-hued lakes, jagged mountain ranges, and sky-mirroring salt flats, the small landlocked South American nation is lauded as having some of the world's most beautiful destinations. The Moon Valley is a wonder that attracts few crowds, offering a labyrinth of spindling rock with wooden bridges for travelers to traverse. While Chile's Valle de la Luna gets most of the attention, its neighboring country's natural, otherworldly landscape often goes unnoticed.

An excursion to the salty plains of Salar de Uyuni may already be at the top of your ultimate bucket list for a vacation to South America, but the carved red canyons and spiraling rocks of the Moon Valley should be included, too. Just a short 6-mile journey from the capital of La Paz, the lunar landscapes are an easy add-on to any Bolivian adventure. Accessing the city itself is a little trickier. Direct flights run from Miami, but journeys from any other U.S. city to La Paz will involve a layover.

With sandstone stalagmites surging skyward from the Andean peaks, the Moon Valley is a maze of natural spires. The area's eroded hillside clay twists peculiarly, with two trails that weave between the rocks on bridges and maintained paths. Both are circular routes, carrying travelers over sweeping vistas and back out to the accessible entryway. The shorter trail only takes 15 minutes to traverse, but it's worth taking the time to adventure on the longer trail. The other 45-minute hike leads up to Devil's Point, the best viewpoint in the valley.

A visit to the Moon Valley won't take up a full day of your trip. Plan to wander through the pinnacles in the morning to avoid the intensity of the Andean sun before returning to the cultural capital or moving on to another mountain highlight. Further north, you'll find the diverse landscape of Madidi National Park (one of the world's most dangerous), housing the barren slopes of the Andes and a lush rainforest. To the south, more unearthly scenes unfold in the various South American valleys that have earned the title of Moon Valley. The most famous among them is Chile's vast Atacama Desert, which overflows into the Bolivian Altiplano.

While the Moon Valley is an amazing sight to see, there are many other highlights within Bolivia's Andean mountains. You can embark on tours to explore the Altiplano from the tourist-heavy towns of Tupiza or Uyuni, which are both farther south than Moon Valley and the nearby capital. On these towns' dusty streets, you'll immediately be presented with several tour companies offering three- to four-day trips within the Altiplano. While you can book a tour online in advance, it may be cheaper to secure your spot once you arrive in town.

For example, in a four-day tour from Tupiza to the Uyuni Salt Flats, you'll stop at many gorgeous Andean must-sees. Although you won't hit the Moon Valley mentioned here, you'll visit another lunar landscape close to the Argentinian border and spend your first afternoon dipping into high-altitude hot springs. The tour goes on to traverse lakes stained pale green and periwinkle and populated by sashaying flamingos. Any excursion into the Altiplano typically includes the salt flats of Salar de Uyuni, a destination that should absolutely be considered a wonder of the world.