Chile inaugurates the Desierto Florido season in Atacama
The Chilean Ministry of Tourism has declared the flowery desert season open in the Atacama and expects the arrival of visitors from all over the world between September and October, with the possibility of extending it until November.
This year a large population of flowers is expected in the provinces of Huasco and Copiapó, as a result of the abundant fall and winter rainfall. With this scenario, the authorities point out that the phenomenon will be particularly unique this year, covering different parts of the Atacama region.
According to the records of the National Forestry Corporation, this year the phenomenon will occur with more emphasis in the communes of Freirina, Huasco and Vallenar during August and the first half of September. Then it can be seen in Caldera and Copiaó.
This projection, however, is subject to environmental conditions and the possibility of rising temperatures, since the cold could delay the blooming of the flowers. In the same way, hot days could reduce the exposure time of the flowers.
The flowery desert phenomenon corresponds to the germination, rapid growth and abundant flowering of more than 200 plant species in the Atacama Desert, thanks to mainly favorable humidity conditions. The flowering that occurs in Chile, unlike other deserts such as Namibia, the United States, Australia and Peru, is that here it happens in the driest desert on the planet and not every year, but only when there are rainfall events of over 15mm .