The Atacama desert is the driest place on earth outside the poles, and the Inca crossed it on foot. The Qhapaq Ñan, the great Inca road system, included a southern branch that ran from Cusco down into what is now northern Chile, and this segment between Pampa del Inca and the farm of Chañaral lies in the region of Atacama, close to the town of Diego de Almagro. It is part of the UNESCO listing of the Qhapaq Ñan in 2014.
The name Diego de Almagro belongs to the Spanish conquistador who came this way in 1536, leading an expedition from Peru across the Andes in search of a second Inca treasure, and who suffered terribly in the cold. The town of Diego de Almagro, with about eighteen thousand people, grew around the copper and railway industry, and has fuel, shops and food. It is the sensible last stop for services before heading into the high desert.
For motorcyclists the area is a dream. The road east from the coast climbs to the Paso San Francisco, over four thousand seven hundred metres, on the border with Argentina, passing salt flats, lagoons with flamingos and the huge cone of the Ojos del Salado, the highest active volcano in the world, at nearly seven thousand metres. The road is paved in parts and gravel in others, with strong wind, thin air and almost no traffic. Fuel is limited and distances are vast, so carry spare and water, and tell someone your plan.
Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with clear skies, and winter nights are very cold. The desert flowers after rare rains, and when it happens, the plains turn pink and purple for a few weeks, an event worth waiting for. Mind the sun and the altitude.