Sandboarding and desert dune adventures in South America.
Drone surveys and aerial images have identified a fresh set of 168 geoglyphs in the Nazca Lines World Heritage Site in the Peruvian desert, thanks to a joined effort between local archaeologists and researches at the Yamagata University in Japan. Drawings of simple lines, geometrical patterns, and animals such as cats, snakes, orcas, camelids and … Read more
Coastal deserts are deserts located in coastal areas, generally at the western edges of continents near the tropics. Coastal deserts are characterized by low levels of precipitation, high evaporation rates, and sparse vegetation. Winds off the coast blows in an easterly pattern and prevents the moisture from moving onto the land, thus causing a desert … Read more
Something truly unexpected happened last month in Chile, when the sand dunes of the Atacama Desert were suddenly springing with life, with plants and flowers turning the landscape into a rainbow of colors. Chile’s Atacama desert is the driest place on Earth. Rainfall normally occurs once every two to seven years, and it is heavily … Read more
The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the most unique deserts in the world. First of all, it is considered to be the driest place on Earth, with virtually no precipitation occurring year round except for when the phenomenon of El Niño brings it every 2 to 7 years, during which the desert … Read more
There are plenty of opportunities for fans of sandboarding in Uruguay, mostly located around the coast. The best dunes are located in Rocha near Cabo Polonio, although there are plenty of smaller beach dunes that you can hit near major cities in Canelones and Maldonado. Montevideo does not have very steep dunes but you can … Read more
The Dunes of San Cosme and Damián are one of those paradisiacal places that you can only find in Paraguay. Many years ago, they were simply dunes on top of a hill on the Paraná, but with the rise of the river due to the reservoir of the Yacyretá Dam, these have started forming an … Read more
The Palmira Desert (Desierto de Palmira) is a unique sandy landscape in the middle of the Ecuadorian Andes, and the one place where you can practice sandboarding on its vast albeit rather small dunes. This very small desert is a hidden gem still relatively undiscovered even by the locals. Recently the indigenous communities of the … Read more
Bolivia is one of the greenest countries and tropical heavens of South America, but it still makes for a great sandboarding destination. Even though it does not have any real desert, the Lomas de Arena (“sand hills”) near Santa Cruz are a very popular tourist destination where this activity can be practiced. Lomas de Arena … Read more
Welcome to Iquique, a bustling coastal city in northern Chile that’s brimming with adventure and natural splendor. Strategically located between the Pacific Ocean and the Atacama Desert, this city offers a unique blend of urban charm and natural wonders. One of the city’s most remarkable features is the Cerro Dragon, or Dragon Hill, the largest … Read more
Guetamala is a lesser known destination for volcano boarding in Central America, often overshadowed by its neighbour Nicaragua. The slopes of Pacaya volcano have in fact only become suitable for sandboarding following recent eruptions, the last of which was reported in 2021. Today, there are plenty of hiking tours that will take you on top … Read more