Photos: Wildflowers Bloom in the Atacama Desert

Javier Torres, a photojournalist with AFP, recently visited the Atacama Desert in Chile, capturing images of a desert in bloom after a spell of unusually wet weather.September 21, 2026, 12:15 PM ET Javier Torres / AFP / GettyAn aerial view of patches of blooming wildflowers in the Atacama Desert near Copiapó, Chile, seen on September 18, 2026Javier Torres / AFP / GettyPeople look at a carpet of flowers blooming in the Atacama Desert on September 18, 2026.Javier Torres / AFP / GettyA car passes through a flower-covered area of the Atacama Desert on September 18, 2026.Javier Torres / AFP / GettyA view of cactus amid the blooming wildflowersJavier Torres / AFP / GettyA Chilean flag stands among wildflowers near Copiapó.Javier Torres / AFP / GettyAn aerial view of a bloom of growth in the AtacamaJavier Torres / AFP / GettyBlue wildflowers in bloomJavier Torres / AFP / GettyA view of the Atacama Desert on September 17, 2026Javier Torres / AFP / GettyA wildflower emerges from cracked earth in the Atacama Desert.Javier Torres / AFP / GettyHills covered with patches of blooming wildflowersJavier Torres / AFP / GettyA field near Copiapó, seen on September 18, 2026Javier Torres / AFP / GettyA close view of purple wildflowers in bloomJavier Torres / AFP / GettyThe sun sets over the Atacama Desert on September 17, 2026.Javier Torres / AFP / GettyA rainbow appears at sunset.Javier Torres / AFP / GettyAn aerial view of the full arc of a rainbow over the Atacama Desert, seen on September 17, 2026About the AuthorAlan Taylor is a senior editor at The Atlantic.