You can also see Andean gulls and a type of swallow, among other birds. The area surrounding the Salar is also of great interest. Flanking it on the western and northern edges is the Cordillera de la Sal , a short range of dinosaur-shaped hills. Wind and rain erosion have done the rest of the sculpting. These hills contain large quantities of gypsum, which accounts for their salt-sprinkled look that, in turn, prompted their name.
Sunsets seen from here can be trance-inducing.
The sky goes from pink through purple to a black splashed with the most lavish display of stars you are ever likely to see. If there is a full moon silver-frosting the rugged pillars, the experience is simply superb. If driving, it is best to visit this place on the way from Calama. The turn-off is not signposted, but it is not hard to find. Well into the plain, approximately at km 74 from Calama, a gravel road branches right.