Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa

Marvel at the star filled nights and sunny days in this remote desert lodge, exploring by day the salt lakes, geysers, villages, canyons and all round spectacular scenery.

Day 1
Calama – San Pedro De Atacama

Arrive Calama and you will be met at the airport and transferred to Alto Atacama Hotel. From the moment you arrive, the Alto Atacama team will take care of you. The expert guides and crew, are able to make any one feel at home in the middle of one of the driest deserts in the world. Amongst other things, you will have the chance to feel you travel in harmony with the landscape, within the principles of the Leave No Trace outdoor system, leaving the places you travel to, as well or better than when you first arrived. On outings, both bikes and vans keep to the roads marked. Depending on your arrival time, you may take an excursion or relax and enjoy your desert oasis. D

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Day 2
San Pedro de Atacama

The team at Alto Atacama believe that the world has to be walked, be explored, to become known. With an awareness that people have different interests and skills, your guides will help you feel comfortable and safe in whatever activity you choose. Expeditions can be physically demanding or relaxed, they can engage you intellectually or simply let you feel the energy of the desert. Whatever excursion you decide to be part of, the sights will stay with your forever, because Atacama is our world, one of purity and space. B L D

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Day 3
San Pedro de Atacama

Excursions on foot, bike or vehicle will introduce you to the beauty and magnitude of Atacama – see high mountain lakes and witness the Andes in full display of power; the Tatio geysers, the highest and third largest geothermal field in the world. Walk through the eerie Moon Valley, see the Atacama Salt Lake, archaeological sites, dried up creek beds and quaint adobe villages. And, as in all of Alto Atacama’s excursions there is no rush. Take all the pictures that you want, talk to the curious children, walk through the local markets, make moments last. B L D

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Day 4
San Pedro de Atacama – Calama

Depending on your departure time, take an excursion or relax until it is time for your transfer back to Calama. B L

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Other highlights of your stay:

Stargazing

Chile’s desert is blessed with the world’s clearest skies and Alto Atacama’s unique location away from the bright lights of the village of San Pedro means there is zero light pollution, providing the most dramatic setting for an evening of stargazing. The viewing area is atop a small hill, right next to the hotel, thus providing an even better vantage point. The hotel’s professional telescope is unique. There is also much to see with the naked eye, as one can simply sit back on one of our specially designed lounge chairs, sipping a pre-dinner drink, and absorb the majesty of the night sky.

Excursions

Among the more than 30 excursions include visits to the Tatio Geysers, the highest in the world; swimming in the aquamarine salt waters of Laguna Cejar; photo safaris to high Andean terrain, including jewel-toned lakes and colourful swamps full of flamingos, alpacas and llamas; watching the sun set from the Valley of the Moon; and viewing petroglyphs etched on rocks in the Rainbow Valley. The Atacama Desert is an adventure traveller’s dream, with trekking through lunar-like landscapes; mountain biking through the salt- encrusted ridges of Death Valley or across sand dunes; and, for those with the physical strength and ability, climbs up one of four volcanoes. The region is also a living archaeological museum, with Inca and atacameño ruins that date back thousands of years, remnants of ancient trade routes, and the village’s Padre le Paige Museum that features perfectly preserved artefacts such as tools, clothing, and instruments used in religious ceremonies.

PuriSpa – after the exursions, it is time to relax!

Alto Atacama desert lodge & spa’s deluxe PuriSpa provides an experience that pampers, reduces tension and heals. Located near the six wonderful oasis-like swimming pools, the PuriSpa is a haven of relaxation, featuring an indoor Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, as well as massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, and even gong therapy. Try a Moonlight Massage, or enjoy a romantic candlelit massage for couples, and Altiplanic Mud Wrap, or a Quinoa Facial.

Photo top page by Kurt Cotoaga on Unsplash.