The Atacama is the driest non-polar desert on Earth, a plateau running about 1,600 km (1,000 miles) down the Pacific coast of northern Chile, west of the Andes. Average annual rainfall is around 15 mm (0.6 in), some weather stations there have never recorded rain at all, and evidence suggests parts of it received no significant rainfall between 1570 and 1971. For a motorcyclist that combination produces two specific problems that do not appear on ordinary desert roads: extreme dryness at altitude, and border crossings that sit above 4,000 m. This guide covers the riding around San Pedro de Atacama, the Paso de Jama crossing into Argentina, and how to handle both.
The ride in one paragraph
The Atacama covers roughly 105,000 km² (41,000 square miles), rising to about 128,000 km² (49,000 square miles) if the barren lower slopes of the Andes are counted. Its ecoregion runs almost continuously from near Arica at 18°24′S south to near La Serena at 29°55′S. Its aridity comes from a two-sided rain shadow — the Andes to the east and the Chilean Coast Range to the west both block moisture — reinforced by the cool Humboldt Current and the South Pacific anticyclone. The same high altitude, dry air and near-total absence of light pollution that make it hard on people make it one of the world's premier astronomical sites, home to the Atacama Large Millimeter Array and the Very Large Telescope. The riding base is San Pedro de Atacama, an oasis town in the Puna de Atacama in the Antofagasta Region, 106 km (60 miles) southeast of Calama and overlooked by the Licancabur volcano.
Route at a glance
| Region | Atacama Desert, northern Chile, west of the Andes |
| Extent | About 1,600 km (1,000 miles) north to south; roughly 105,000 km² (41,000 square miles) |
| Rainfall | Around 15 mm (0.6 in) a year on average; some stations have never recorded rain |
| Riding base | San Pedro de Atacama, 106 km (60 miles) southeast of Calama |
| Main border crossing | Paso de Jama, 4,200 m (13,800 ft) at the frontier, on Chile Route 27 |
| Highest road point | Route 27 reaches about 4,831 m (15,850 ft) some 57.6 km (35.8 miles) west of the border |
| Jama status | Opened December 1991, paved throughout by 2005, open year-round but occasionally closed by snow |
Open the Calama to Paso de Jama run in Google Maps — the core Atacama ride, ready to send to your navigation.
Calama to San Pedro, and the roads around the oasis
The standard approach is from Calama, 106 km (60 miles) northwest of San Pedro, on good paved road across open desert with the Andes filling the horizon ahead. It is a straightforward hour and a half that does a lot of the altitude work for you — Calama sits well above 2,000 m and San Pedro higher still, so you arrive already partway acclimatised if you have come from the coast.
From San Pedro the riding fans out into a set of day loops: the Valle de la Luna and Cordillera de la Sal immediately west of town, the Salar de Atacama south along the road towards Toconao and the altiplano lagoons, and the climb east onto the puna towards the geyser field. Two features define all of them. Surfaces vary from good asphalt to washboard gravel with no warning, and every road that heads east gains altitude fast. The lagoon and geyser routes take you above 4,000 m within an hour of leaving town.
Temperature swing is the other constant. Clear skies and thin dry air mean strong solar radiation by day and rapid cooling after sunset, and at these elevations the difference between a sunny afternoon and a night ride is large enough to matter for both rider and machine. Sunburn through cloudless sky at 4,000 m is faster than most visitors expect, and dehydration in air this dry happens without the usual cues because sweat evaporates before you notice it.
Paso de Jama, the high crossing into Argentina
Paso de Jama is the northernmost road border crossing between Chile and Argentina and the natural onward route from San Pedro towards Jujuy. The pass sits at 4,200 m (13,800 ft) at the frontier itself, and the Chilean approach on Route 27 climbs even higher — roughly 4,831 m (15,850 ft) about 57.6 km (35.8 miles) west of the border, making it one of the highest highways in South America. It opened on 6 December 1991 and was paved throughout by 2005. It is nominally open all year, though it can close for snow, and it carries freight traffic between northern Argentina, Paraguay and the northern Chilean ports, so you will share it with trucks.
The formalities are unusual and worth knowing. The Argentine border station sits five kilometres east of the frontier in the settlement of Jama, at 4,100 m (13,500 ft), and offers joint entry and exit processing by both Chilean and Argentine authorities in one place. There is an additional Chilean station at San Pedro de Atacama, 160 km from the pass. In practice that means you can be queuing on your bike, in the cold, at over 4,000 m, for longer than you would like — bring water and a warm layer you can reach without unpacking.
Standard paperwork applies: passport, home licence with an International Driving Permit, vehicle registration or title in your name, the temporary import permit from your entry into Chile, and insurance valid in Argentina. Hired bikes need written authorisation from the rental company to leave the country. Chilean agricultural inspection is strict on the return leg — fresh produce, meat, dairy, seeds and honey get confiscated.
Altitude, and treating it as a riding problem
This is the section most riders skim and should not. San Pedro is high; the roads out of it are higher; Jama is higher again. The body adapts to reduced oxygen over days, not hours, and riding masks the early warning signs because you are sitting still while working hard mentally.
The general principles are simple. Gain sleeping altitude gradually rather than in one jump. Give yourself a night or two around San Pedro before riding onto the puna or crossing Jama. Drink considerably more water than thirst suggests, because the air here is dry enough that you lose fluid without feeling it. Treat headache, nausea, breathlessness while resting, disturbed sleep or clumsiness as reasons to descend, not to push on — decision-making degrades before you notice it has, which is a specific hazard on a motorcycle. Alcohol and sedatives make all of it worse. If you have a medical condition or want to discuss preventive medication, do that with a doctor before you travel rather than at a pharmacy in Calama.
Your engine feels it too. Naturally aspirated motorcycles lose a meaningful share of their power in air this thin, and carburetted bikes may run rich enough to foul plugs. Plan overtakes on the assumption that acceleration will be worse than you are used to.
Season, fuel and practical details
Season. The desert itself is effectively rainless all year, so the seasonal question is really about the altiplano east of it. The high plateau receives what little rain it gets in the southern summer: just over the border at Uyuni, monthly rainfall runs 1 to 3 mm from April to November but can reach 80 mm in January. Those summer storms are what close high roads and wash out gravel, so the drier southern-winter and shoulder months are generally the more reliable riding window for the high routes, at the cost of much colder nights. Verified in August 2026; check pass status with the Chilean and Argentine authorities before you commit, since Jama closes for snow without much notice.
Fuel. Calama and San Pedro have stations; between them and beyond them, especially on the climb to Jama, there is a long stretch with nothing. The run from San Pedro over the pass to the first Argentine towns is the one to plan for — fill completely in San Pedro, and if your tank range is modest, carry fuel. Fuel quality at the main Chilean stations is consistent, but a bike tuned at sea level running at 4,500 m is a different proposition regardless of what you put in it.
Water and shade. There is none between towns. Carry more water than seems reasonable and treat every stop as a chance to drink.
Gear notes for the Atacama
The desert removes the two things riders normally lean on: mobile coverage and landmarks. Long straight roads across featureless ground make it genuinely easy to miss a junction, and the consequences here are measured in fuel. Having the whole region stored so your GPS navigation setup works with no signal is the baseline, and the open sky is one place where the multi-constellation reception explained in our GNSS primer gives you a fast, stable fix rather than a wandering one. Temperature swings of thirty degrees between afternoon tarmac and a night at 4,000 m move tyre pressures noticeably, and there is no shade to sit in while you diagnose a slow leak — our tyre pressure guide covers what to set and a TPMS sensor tells you the moment something changes. Before a high crossing, run through our pre-ride check properly, because a fault that is an inconvenience at sea level is a serious matter at Jama. With no mains power on the puna, a bi-directional fast charger keeps cameras and intercoms working. Continuing east, our Salar de Uyuni guide covers the salt flat across the Bolivian border, and the best motorcycle roads in South America page sets out the wider circuit.
FAQ
How high do you actually ride in the Atacama?
Higher than the desert's reputation suggests. San Pedro sits on the Puna de Atacama, day routes east climb above 4,000 m, and Chile Route 27 towards Paso de Jama reaches about 4,831 m (15,850 ft) before dropping to the 4,200 m (13,800 ft) frontier. Plan acclimatisation days.
Is Paso de Jama open all year?
It is officially open year-round and has been fully paved since 2005, but it can close temporarily for snow. Check the current status with Chilean and Argentine authorities before you ride, and be aware the Argentine station at Jama sits at 4,100 m with joint processing for both countries.
How dry is the Atacama really?
Average annual rainfall is about 15 mm (0.6 in), some weather stations have never recorded rain, and evidence suggests parts of the desert saw no significant rainfall from 1570 to 1971. Dehydration is a genuine risk because sweat evaporates before you feel wet.
When is the best time to ride here?
The desert itself is rideable all year. The high altiplano routes east of San Pedro are affected by southern-summer storms — nearby Uyuni records up to 80 mm of rain in January against 1 to 3 mm a month from April to November — so the drier months either side of winter are more reliable for the high roads, with colder nights as the trade-off.
Will my bike run properly at that altitude?
It will run, but a naturally aspirated engine loses a real share of its power in thin air and carburetted bikes can run rich. Expect noticeably slower acceleration, plan overtakes accordingly, and carry a spare set of spark plugs if your bike is older.
