Valle de Marte, often called Death Valley in older guidebooks, is one of the most accessible desert landscapes around San Pedro de Atacama. The terrain is all eroded red ridges, pale salt seams, sand slopes, and dry gullies, with the Andes sitting on the horizon like a painted backdrop.
It is a good place to walk rather than rush. Late afternoon brings the best colour and slightly kinder temperatures, though the exposed ground still demands water, sun protection, and a realistic sense of distance. If Valle de la Luna is the classic excursion, Valle de Marte is the rougher, quieter companion.