Camar is the kind of place that is easy to miss and hard to forget. A cluster of low houses, a small chapel and a handful of green terraces watered by a stream sit on the high desert, with volcanoes standing on the horizon in every direction. This is the land of the Lickanantay, the Atacameño people, who have lived in this arid country for thousands of years and who still herd llamas and grow maize, alfalfa and beans on patches of irrigated land. Their name for the landscape includes an understanding of water that outsiders usually lack.
The surrounding country has a stark beauty. To the north lies the Salar de Atacama, a vast salt flat that glitters white in the sun, where flamingos feed in shallow lagoons. East of it rises Lascar, an active volcano at about fifty-six hundred metres, trailing a faint plume of steam on clear days. The high lagoons of Miscanti and Miñiques, a little way south-east, are a deep, still blue under a pale sky, ringed by golden grass, and they are among the finest sights of northern Chile. Vicuñas graze beside the road, and in the evening the light turns the hills to copper.
The road here is part of the old Inca route, and a segment of it, Camar Sur, is included in the UNESCO listing of the Qhapaq Ñan. Ride it for the landscape rather than for the corners. Long straights across the plateau alternate with climbs through volcanic hills, with magnificent views, little traffic and few signs. The altitude is a factor, since the thin air saps power from engines and energy from riders, so ride at a modest pace, drink plenty of water, and rest if you feel dizzy or have a headache.
Stars deserve a mention. This region has some of the clearest skies on earth, and an hour outside the village after dark, with the engine off and a jacket on, is a fine way to end a day. San Pedro de Atacama is the nearest town with fuel, food and accommodation, and it is well over an hour away. Plan fuel carefully, because the distances between stations are long and no one will sell you petrol in a village without a pump. Winter nights are bitter, summer afternoons can bring thunderstorms, and spring is mild and settled.