The hydrogen isotope composition of leaf wax biomarkers (delta H-2(wax)) is a valuable tool for reconstructing continental paleohydrology, since it serves as a proxy for the hydrogen isotope composition of precipitation (delta H-2(pre)). To yield robust palaeohydrological reconstructions using delta H-2(wax) in marine archives, it is necessary to examine the impacts of regional climate on delta H-2(wax) and assess the similarity between marine sedimentary delta H-2(wax) and the source of continental delta H-2(wax). Here, we examined an aridity gradient from hyperarid to humid along the Chilean coast. We sampled sediments at the outlets of rivers draining into the Pacific as well as soils within catchments and marine surface sediments adjacent to the outlets of the studied rivers and analyzed the relationship between climatic variables and delta H-2(wax) values. We found that apparent fractionation between leaf waxes and source water is relatively constant in humid and semiarid regions (average: -121 parts per thousand). However, it becomes less negative in hyperarid regions (average: -86 parts per thousand) as a result of evapotranspirative processes affecting soil and leaf water H-2 enrichment. We also observed that along strong aridity gradients, the H-2 enrichment of delta H-2(wax) follows a non-linear relationship with water content and water flux variables, driven by strong soil evaporation and plant transpiration. Furthermore, our results indicate that delta H-2(wax) values in marine surface sediments largely reflect delta H-2(wax) values from the continent, confirming the robustness of marine delta H-2(wax) records for paleohydrological reconstructions along the Chilean margin. These findings also highlight the importance of considering the effects of hyperaridity in the interpretation of delta H-2(wax) values and pave the way for more quantitative paleohydrological reconstructions using delta H-2(wax).