The La Guajira Desert stretches across northeastern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela along the Caribbean coast.
La Guajira is one of the driest regions of northern South America, although it is not completely lifeless. Thorn scrub, cacti, and other drought-adapted plants survive in areas where seasonal rain briefly changes the landscape. Strong trade winds also shape the coastal dunes and dry plains.
The desert occupies the Guajira Peninsula, a region culturally associated with the Wayuu people. Wayuu communities have traditionally adapted to scarce water, seasonal movement, herding, fishing, and trade. The desert’s Caribbean setting makes it visually different from inland deserts such as the Atacama.
La Guajira is sometimes described simply as a peninsula or cultural region rather than a desert. Its dry climate, vegetation, dunes, and low rainfall, however, justify its geographic classification as a desert landscape.