Style

Explora Atacama provides very luxurious accommodation in an area of complete solitude, where rooms are made to amplify the silence and privacy of your stay.

Setting

Amongst salt flats, volcanoes, ravines and lagoons; where a varied landscape has encouraged intriguing and different wildlife to evolve. Despite its remoteness, the hotel is just a few minutes from the town of San Pedro de Atacama.

Accommodation & Facilities

The hotel consists of 4 main buildings, creating a patio area in the centre; three of these buildings contain the guest accommodation, the fourth holds the public areas. In the Atacama Lodge you will find 4 Catur suites, all 50m² with balconies and fantastic views over the countryside. The Atacama Desert hotel has 34 rooms, each 33m² in size; the last one has another 16 rooms, all with views over the Cordillera de la Sal. These rooms may be joined together to create family suites or space for those in big groups. All of the rooms and suites include hydromassage, a living area, wooden ceilings and stone floors. There are no TV’s in the rooms, encouraging guests to shut off the outside world and fully engage with their surroundings.

The 4 interconnected swimming pools are within a huge patio area, heated by solar panels. Not only does this area have beautiful views and a serene quiet but also open air Jacuzzis, saunas, steam baths and a self-service bar. There is also a “Turi Puri” massage room in a restored colonial adobe building. Taking advantage of having one of the clearest night skies in the world, the hotel now has an observatory with a powerful telescope.

The stables play home to 26 horses, all of different breeds and mixes, expertly trained for rides in the area.

Dining

The hotel uses high quality ingredients, sourced locally where possible – fruits of the chañar tree which grows in the patios, native to Atacama are used to make a honey and quinoa is used to make salads and risottos. The cuisine prides itself on being very healthy and well balanced; a great diet for those out exploring and horse riding.

Activities

Explora Ataxama offers a huge range of activities from the hotel. Treks are organised so you can get to places inaccessible by vehicle, where you are likely to meet descendants of the ancient Atacameno culture. There are a range of treks available following different routes at different altitudes, exploring salt flats, geysers, archaeological sites and diverse wildlife.

Cycling trips can also be organised, allowing the traveller to head out a little further than on a trek, experiencing the different eco-systems that can radically change within just a few hours ride. There are also horseback rides on offer. Due to the altitude, this is not part of traditional culture and it has taken special efforts for these horses to acclimatise and make this are there home.

For those wanting to mountain climb, on your first few days you may go up to around 3,000 metres above sea level. By your fifth day, if you have had no problems, you may go all the way up to about 6,000 metres (that’s 19,700 feet!). Places you may climb include Toco Mountain (5,604 metres), Sairecabur Volcano (6,010 metres), Corona Mountain (5,291 metres) and Licancabur Volcano (5,916metres).

Stargazing here is amazing and tours will include an introductory talk before you head onto into the observatory.

Child Policy

Children are welcome.