The Andes Mountains do more than separate Chile and Argentina: The towering peaks block the moisture coming from the ocean and make western Argentina a long, continuous desert. In essence, western Argentina is divided into the Monte Desert to the north and the Patagonia Desert to the south, with the Salinas Grandes salt desert sitting slightly to the east. Inside each desert are unique highlights that include surreal landscapes, impressive national parks and otherworldly rock formations.
Talampaya National Park
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, Talampaya National Park is a spectacular desert playground in the Monte. The park is famous for condors flying overhead and ancient petroglyphs carved into the rocks. Still, the real attractions are the colorful rock formations with nicknames like the eco-friendly Chimney, the Awada Cave and the massive Gothic Cathedral. Talampaya can only be explored on foot with a guide.
Valle de la Luna
Ischigualasto Provincial Park is even more fascinating than neighboring Talampaya, especially in the arid badlands known as Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley). Home to some of the world's oldest dinosaur fossils, the valley shines with its glorious rock formations, which feature nicknames like the Submarine, the Mushroom, Alladin's Lamp, the Sphinx and the Bowling Field. Looking at these formations, the ancient tribesmen must have thought the gods were potters who used the desert rocks as their clay.
Guess what? Deserts can be cold. Welcome to the Patagonia Desert, also known as the Patagonian Steppe. At around 260,000 square miles, this is the largest desert in the Americas and stretches from the Andes Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean in southern Argentina. Geologists believe the desert was originally a forest, but the rise of the Andes instigated the shift. As a result, the Patagonia Desert features the world's best-preserved petrified forest.
The Salinas Grandes was formerly a lake, but the high salt content eventually absorbed the water and turned it into the third-largest salt desert in the world. Covering about 3,200 square miles near Corboda in central Argentina, the desert can be explored independently thanks to a paved road that cuts across the salty expanse. Highlights include a series of stunning salt water pools created by a mining company.
The lesser-visited Puna is a high-altitude desert plateau near the borders of Chile and Bolivia. Best explored on multiday tours, the Puna features ancient fossil dunes at the Desierto del Laberinto (Labyrinth Desert) and salt flats like Salar del Diablo and the volcano-ringed Salar de Arizaro. It is located at about 15,000 feet elevation, and travelers will marvel at the lush green valley known as the Antofalla Oasis. The Puna is yet another example of how Argentina defies the traditional sand-and-sun stereotype of deserts.
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