Some people wonder, when searching for the best natural wonders in the Chilean/Argentinian regions, whether the famous deserts of Patagonia and Atacama are related.
The answer is that while both are deserts, they are far away from each other (more than 1,200 miles). And while the Patagonia desert is on the Argentina side, the Atacama desert is in the north of Chile.
Also, while both are clear and spectacular, they have different climates. In Atacama, the temperature usually hovers around a temperate 65 degrees Fahrenheit or so. It is windswept and barren and the driest place on Earth outside the poles.
Patagonia is similar, but it is more lush. It does not get much precipitation, like Atacama, because it is in the “rain shadow” of the Andes, which means the clouds break on the Andean peaks and leave little moisture left over for the desert on the other side.
However, it boasts vegetation and mountains in different areas, because the desert is only part of Patagonia, not the whole thing.