In rare years — roughly every five to seven years, when El Niño rains reach the desert — the hillsides around Copiapó explode into colour. Dozens of species of flowering plants, dormant in the soil through years of drought, bloom simultaneously, covering the normally bare brown hillsides with carpets of purple, yellow, pink, and white. The Desierto Florido (flowering desert) is one of the most striking natural spectacles in South America.
The blooming typically occurs between September and November, at its peak lasting only a few weeks. It happened notably in 2015, 2017, and 2019. When it occurs, the region draws visitors from across Chile and beyond. If you happen to be in Copiapó during a flowering year, dropping everything to drive the coastal highway south or the valleys east of town is absolutely worth it.