Uncovering the Mysteries of the Top 10 Driest Places on Earth

Water! That will be the first word when you visit the driest places on earth with less than 0.09 inches of rainfall per year. The hyper-arid desert places give you a challenge regarding survival in the region.

Dry Desert Locations in the world

In the worst case, the area is just included in the list of inhabitable because of the less humid environment. Let’s get into the list of the top 10 driest places on Earth.

1. Pelican Point, Namibia

Pelican Point, Namibia

Pelican Point is the most photogenic and ideal place for sand surfing. In spite of being the driest place, tourist keeps on visiting Pelican Point to have an adventure by surfing on the dunes of sand that stretch to the Atlantic Ocean.

Pelican Point, Namibia

It’s a congested place with tourists because of the moderate temperature that remains between the spectrum of hot and cold. The rainfall in the region is about 23mm which means most of the year Pelican Point locals have clear skies.

Read Also: 20 Places That Don’t Feel Real

2. Aoulef, Algeria

Aoulef, Algeria

Aoulef is a highly heated place in Algeria. Be prepared for dealing with the long summer and shorter winters in the region. In the hottest month of July, the temperature lies between 44 C and 32.6 C. The rainfall in Aoulef is lower than in Pelican Point which is 12.9 mm.

This is the reason the terrain used to cover with lower sand and shine with sunrise and sunset.

3. Dry Valleys, Antarctica

The Dry Valleys of Antarctica

You can find the driest place in the south too. These are the cluster of valleys that receives less rainfall. The main reason behind the less humidity is the evaporation of water and ice because of Katabatic winds. These are the wind that blows at the speed of 199 mph and get hotter on reaching the south.

Read Also: Top 10 Coldest Places in India To Visit This Summer

4. Aswan, Egypt

Aswan, Egypt 

Aswan is located in the south of Egypt with an average rainfall of 0.861. The less humid winds are in tune with the rest of Egypt.

Aswan has one of the busiest markets in Egypt and remains congested with tourists which makes it a hot spot for travelers. The city lies on the Tropic of Cancer and reaches 41.9 C in summer.

5. Atacama Desert, Chile

Atacama Desert, Chile

One of the towns of the Atacama Desert did not receive for around 400 years between 1570 to 1971. You can best describe the place as a coastal desert located in South America.

The average rainfall in the whole region is pretty high in all of the other driest places on the list. The temperature of the Atacama Desert remains bearable most of the time of the year.

View Location: Travelistia Maps

6. Ica, Peru

dry places in Ica, Peru

Ica is the capital of the Department of Ica and borders the Atacama Desert where the lower humidity is inherited by the region.

According to history, Ica was pretty cold which is evident by the remains of penguins found in the area. Now the hot environment of the region is non-supportive to most of the vegetation and plants. Ica receives around 209 mm of rainfall annually.

Read Also: 10 Best Places to Visit in Bolivia

7. Wadi Halfa, Sudan

Wadi Halfa, Sudan 

Wadi Halfa is located in the northern state of Sudan. Geographically, Halfa is part of the Namibian desert that used to be the part of Sahara Desert.

In the winter season, the temperature reaches 27 C while in summer it’ reaches 118 C. The average rainfall of the Wadi Halfa is lower than 2.45mm.

8. Rub Al-Khali, Arabia

Rub Al-Khali, Arabia 

Rub Al-Khali is part of Oman and remains an empty land with sand dunes. It stretches up to picturesque 620 miles with gypsum plains.

Don’t just hitch-hike across the land without any professional because the region has no facility available during the journey.

The lesser precipitation level, 36mm, is the reason for the absence of any water body and vegetation.

9. Luxor, Egypt

Luxor, Egypt 

Literally, Luxor means the palaces as the town has most of the ruined palaces present in the region. The rich culture and historical sites of the places attract most tourists even with their high dryness.

The summer temperature of Luxor is around 40 C and in winder the lower down to 22 C.

Read Also: 15 Places on Earth with the Most Bluest Waters

10. Arica, Chile

Arica, Chile 

Arica has the same intensity of sunshine as the Northern Sahara Desert. The South American region, it’s one of the driest places in the continent with lesser rainfall of 0.761mm.

When you are in Arica, the level of hotness will make you feel as if you are in one of the hottest places in Africa.


Ferona Jose

Ferona Jose is a passionate travel writer and blogger at Travelistia. She has traveled throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. Her writing focuses on cheap travel destinations, travel experiences, cultural insights, and travel hacks.

Popular Articles