Peine is a village at the southern end of the Salar de Atacama, one of those small oases that makes the desert liveable, and the road that comes to it traverses some of the strangest country in Chile. At around 2,450 metres, it lies in a fold of the ground between the salt flat and the volcanic highlands, and its irrigated fields of alfalfa and its fruit trees stand out bright green against the brown hills. It is a Lickanantay community, and its stone church and its terraces, watered by channels that come down from the mountains, have been in use for centuries.
The Salar de Atacama is the largest salt flat in Chile, a crust of white and grey salt crystals that stretches across the basin, ringed by volcanic cones. Salt lakes at its edge are home to flamingos, three species of them, feeding on brine shrimp. At Laguna Chaxa, north of Peine, the birds stand in pink flocks in the shallows, with the cones of the Andes behind. To the east the Lascar volcano, at 5,592 metres, still sends up a thin plume of steam, and in the afternoon light the whole area glows with colour.
For the rider, the roads around Peine are long, straight and spectacular. Route 23 runs south from San Pedro along the salar, passing the villages of Toconao and Socaire, with views of volcanoes and salt flats, and leads on to the high lagoons of Miscanti and Miñiques above 4,000 metres. The surface is generally good, though gravel patches and drifting sand are common, and the wind can be fierce in the afternoon. At this altitude the air is thin, so expect your bike to run rough and take it easy yourself.
Plan carefully, because services are scarce. San Pedro de Atacama, roughly a hundred kilometres to the north, is the nearest place with a fuel station and a wider range of food, and if you are heading to the high lagoons it makes sense to fill up and carry extra. In the villages, small shops sell water, bread and simple meals, but hours are unpredictable. Nights are freezing even in summer, and the sun is brutal by day, so carry sunscreen and warm layers. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, and it is best to start early.