Nature
Places That Look Like Another Planet
Iceland's Holuhraun lava field (formed 2014–2015) was used by NASA's Curiosity rover team for landing-site simulations, because Mars's basalt plains have effectively the same chemistry. Astronauts from Apollo 14, Apollo 15, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17 trained at Iceland's geothermal Askja caldera in 1965 and 1967 for lunar geological surveys; the photos from those Iceland sessions are the closest visual cousins to Apollo moonwalks.
These eight locations are used by space agencies (NASA, ESA, ISRO) as Mars or Moon analogues for rover testing, suit testing, and astronaut training. They are also accessible by ordinary tourists — provided you bring water and respect.
Below: the agency that uses each site, what makes it Martian (or lunar), and how to visit.
Late afternoon light, looking east. Photo by our regional correspondent.
Why This Place Matters
Holuhraun lava field, Iceland — used by NASA for Mars rover simulations; the basalt chemistry matches Gale Crater within 5%.
Atacama Desert, Chile — driest place on Earth (some weather stations have never recorded rain); NASA's Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies (ARADS) tested life-detection systems here.
Uyuni salt flat, Bolivia — used as a calibration target for satellite altimeters; the 10,582 km² surface is the flattest place on Earth (variation under 1 m).
A Short History
Lanzarote, Canary Islands — ESA's PANGAEA astronaut geological training course is held in the Timanfaya volcanic field annually since 2013.
Devon Island, Canadian Arctic — NASA's Haughton-Mars Project has used Devon Island since 1997 as a Mars analogue for crewed mission simulation.
Mauna Kea and Kilauea, Hawaii — Apollo astronauts trained on Kilauea lava fields 1965–1972; today the HI-SEAS habitat on Mauna Loa hosts long-duration isolation experiments.
What You Will Actually See
Holuhraun, Iceland — accessible by 4×4 only July to September via the F26 mountain road; Askja caldera nearby.
Atacama Desert, Chile — Valle de la Luna outside San Pedro de Atacama, Salar de Talar, ALMA observatory's open day (monthly).
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia — Incahuasi 'fish island' with 1,200-year-old cacti, the salt hotels of Tahua, the train cemetery.
Timanfaya National Park, Lanzarote — 'Camel Route' on the lava field, Manrique's geothermal restaurant El Diablo cooking on volcanic vents.
Devon Island — accessible only by private Arctic charter; the Haughton crater is 39 km across and 39 million years old.
Wadi Rum, Jordan — used as Mars in The Martian (2015); easily visited via Bedouin 4×4 tours from Aqaba.
Mono Lake, California — tufa towers used by NASA in arsenic-life experiments; sunrise photography spot.
Sokli, Finnish Lapland — abandoned phosphate mine used by ESA for rover testing in 2023.
The kind of detail you only notice on the second visit.
Interesting Facts
A few quick notes on places that look like another planet before the section below.
These are the details our correspondents most often get asked about by readers planning a trip.
Practical Information
Holuhraun — register your route with Safetravel.is and rent a high-clearance 4×4 (Toyota Land Cruiser or Hilux only). Petrol stations: Mývatn (north) or Egilsstaðir (east).
Atacama — fly Santiago → Calama, transfer to San Pedro (1h). Stay at Tierra Atacama or Explora Atacama; both include guided tours.
Uyuni — fly La Paz → Uyuni (45 min); 3-day jeep tour with Red Planet or Hodaka Mountain.
Lanzarote Timanfaya — drive only with ranger-guided coach (€12); independent driving prohibited inside the park.
Interesting Facts
- Iceland's Apollo astronaut training (1965, 1967) covered Askja, Krafla, and Lake Myvatn; the geological lessons there contributed directly to Moon landing sample selection.
- The Atacama Desert's Mars Yard at Yungay has not recorded measurable rainfall since instruments were installed in 1903.
- Uyuni's surface variation is less than 1 m over its entire 10,582 km² extent, making it one of the most precise satellite-altimeter calibration targets in the world.
- Devon Island's Haughton crater is 39 km across, 23 million years old, and is the only known crater in a polar desert that resembles Martian impact craters.
- Wadi Rum's red Cambrian sandstone has been used as Mars in The Martian (2015), Rogue One (2016), and Dune (2021).
Most travellers walk straight past this corner. Stop and look up.
How To Visit
Reykjavík → Holuhraun: 6h drive on Ring Road + F26 4×4 track.
Santiago → Atacama: 2h flight Calama + 1h transfer.
La Paz → Uyuni: 45-min flight or 10h overnight bus.
Madrid → Lanzarote: 3h direct flight.
Final Thoughts
Earth's planetary analogues prove how thin the distinction is between strange and unfamiliar. Atacama is just dry; Uyuni is just salt; Lanzarote is just basalt — and yet they look like nowhere we've been before.
Go with a guide for the geology, not just the photography.
If we had one trip: Atacama in dry season (October–November). Three days at 2,400 m altitude, dawn over the Valle de la Luna, an evening at the ALMA radio-telescope visitor center.
If you read this article and noticed something we got wrong, please write to us. Reader corrections shape what we publish next.
Henrik Voss
Regional correspondent for WIGO Trips. Writes about overlooked places and quiet histories.