Valley of the Moon

Located around 40 minutes from the sky-high city of La Paz is one of the strangest landscapes on earth: the Valley of the Moon. This rocky outcrop is covered in unusually shaped erosion patterns and rock formations that would look more at home on the moon that they do here on Earth. Centuries of wind has sculpted the terrain, leaving it full of bizarre and gnarled columns, spires and pinnacles that vary in shade – from bland beige to more saturated reds and purples – thanks to the varying mineral contents.

Travelers who come to see the valley during their personalized tour of Bolivia should bring a camera and hiking boots. There are several good trekking trails in the region, which work well as viewing routes from which to inspect the otherworldly rock formations as well as the curious bulbous Sand Pedro cacti, a hallucinogenic plant that grows amid the moonscape-like terrain. As you walk along the paths, keep your camera within reach. You never know when a vizcacha – a rabbit-like rodent identifiable by its bushy tail – may hop out onto the trail.

Because of its proximity to La Paz, the Valley of the Moon can be easily visited during private tours of Bolivia’s most famous city.