What Animals and Plants Live in the Atacama Desert The Atacama region in the northward of Chile is home to the Atacama Desert , the driest desert on Earth, and so y'all might non expect to see a whole lot of animals on your trip. Surprisingly, however, the surface area makes for an unexpectedly varied habitat featuring common salt lakes and greener areas fed by bounding main mists or mountain meltwater. Bank check out our Big five animals to see on your Atacama bout !