Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa is the only lodge in the San Pedro region that is totally enveloped by natural surroundings.
Located in the lush Catarpe Valley of the Salt Mountain Range, just over a mile from the plaza of San Pedro, the Alto Atacama’s design was influenced by local village architecture and conceived to blend seamlessly into its environment and appear as a part of the terracotta-colored ridge that rises behind it.
The setting, the sweeping views, the tranquility and silence, and the hotel’s wonderful outdoor lounge spaces make the Alto Atacama a destination unto itself, and unlike any other hotel property in the region.
Environmental sustainability and a strong connection with the local culture have put the Alto Atacama in a category of its own, as has its “Andescape” concept of decorative flora and stable of friendly llamas and alpacas, local cuisine, and Leave No Trace-schooled guides.
Veronica Poblete, creator of Andescape, is a Paris-trained landscape designer and botanist, and ex-Harvard lecturer who has developed this new concept using local flora and ancient agricultural techniques.
The Alto Atacama seeks to open a traveler’s eyes, to explore, to feel, to connect, and to return revitalized and changed by a truly authentic experience one will never forget.
Rather than simply taking photos as a passive traveler, Alto Atacama encourages guests to get off the beaten track, interact with the local indigenous culture and explore the desert’s varied and eerily beautiful landscapes by foot or bike.
More than half of Alto Atacama’s staff is indigenous, and their personal stories and histories enrich a guests’ understanding of the region.
Geysers, hot springs, volcano climbs, mountain biking through desert canyons, and exploring ancient Incan ruins and petroglyphs are just a few of the 30 adventurous excursions offered, always led by highly trained local guides.
Some of the best Chilean architects, designers and landscapers were gathered together, and offered the opportunity to work in the creation of a unique Hotel, to be placed in one the most astonishing settings in the world.
This is a place built with the passion of youth and the wise vision of experienced.
This combination inspired the design of spaces that blend seamlessly with the horizon and complement the experience you are about to live. Even though the guests are out exploring one of the most interesting places on earth, the hotel is also a place that beckons to be enjoyed, and that encourages rest.
The Main Grounds are a projection of the attention to detail that prevails in Alto Atacama. The living room has a great fireplace, providing warmth to the guests.
The outdoor lounge areas have small fire pits that are lit every night for you to enjoy the crisp air, the stunning colors of the sunset, and the majesty of nightfall.
10 Privileged rooms, specially located in the gardens of Alto Atacama, with an open view to the quiet Lagoon and the Catarpe Valley.
Two of these suites are connected. Ideal for families.
27 rooms located in the gardens of Alto Atacama. Slightly larger than the “Quitors”, with a more private terrace, offering an uninterrupted
view to the Cordillera de la Sal Range and the Catarpe Valley.
5 rooms closest to the Common Areas. The view from the private terraces of these guestrooms looks out on to the garden area of the
hotel, framed against the Cordillera de la Sal in the background. One of these rooms is wheelchair accessible.
The Chef combines classic Mediterranean and Chilean recipes with a dash of native flavor.
It allows to create an original range of culinary delights.
Wine making started in Chile around 1548. Central Chile’s Mediterranean climate created the perfect platform to continue this ancient human activity.
The wines of Chile are internationally acclaimed and the wines of Alto Atacama are a microcosm of the superb quality that characterizes Chilean wines.
The Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon is of the highest standards, preparing the ground for the great Syrahs and Carmeneres that are becoming more and more popular around the world.
PURI SPA
Despite the fact that hotel are in the driest of all deserts, water from glacial snow is what makes San Pedro de Atacama an Oasis, and it makes the Spa a strongly revitalizing experience.
Water, expert hands and aromatic scents are the tools for invigorating your body and spirit after a day of exploring the desert.
H2O
Blend the luxury of water in the desert and the tranquility of being removed from the rest of the world.
Six outdoor pools and an outdoor Jacuzzi, overlook the beautiful Catarpe Valley and its red mountains.
Stones from the surrounding desert form a wall of privacy for each of the pools. The sense of being deeply renewed by the cleansing water as you gaze out into the desert is a unique experience.
The team of hotel treat water with respect and responsibility due to its rarity in this environment.
All the water is purified and maintaining it as such is the priority and also maximize its use to reduce the impact on the environment.
An outdoor bar and dining room in the pool area gives the guest the choice of enjoying a leisurely lunch by the water, or simply a chilled glass of Chilean white wine as the sun warms your body.
The procedures in the open air to keep a radiant skin for a long time...
Unforgettable minute massage by real experts...
The superb outdoor pool area includes six private and individual pools, a whirlpool bath, and a bar.
Scottish shower - good-bye cellulite!
Turkish bath - is a special world in which the soul finds agreement with the body...
The hotel offer a wide array of tours, each falling into a conceptualized category based on the type of experience on offer.
Whether that is to contemplate, to seek adventure, cultural heritage, gastronomy, astronomical enlightenment and so on.
Alto Atacama has over 30 different tours and excursions to choose from.
Guests can connect with the landscape, through carefully devised walks, hikes, and biking routes.
To the people, via cultural and heritage tours created with the native population, or to the night sky and Solar system, with the help of the open air observatory.
CULTURAL
Deserts are some of the most static surfaces in the World, eroded only by wind and the rare showers that fall in some parts of the desert.
Therefore it is of absolute importance to be respectful with this terrain. Whatever mark is left behind will stay here for a long period of time.
The first traces of human activity in the area date back more than 10 thousand years.
Since then, the Atacama Desert has continued to be a hub of human interaction, a commercial crossroads for Andean peoples and a proud cradle of Ancient cultural heritage.
These tours offer guests the opportunity to explore the legacy left by indigenous populations, from the Likanantai, to the Tiwanaku peoples, and later the Inca.
This is a chance to understand the heritage of these local hosts a little better.
CONTEMPLATIVE
The contemplative tours are designed to allow a deep immersion into the diverse topography, nature and culture of the Atacama.
The varying routes were carefully considered by the expert guides to offer guests the chance of exploring the enigmas of the desert.
ASTRONOMICAL
As the Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on Earth, it leaves the sky free of clouds, meaning that the skies above are some of the clearest in the world.
Many regard this region as the best in the Southern Hemisphere to practice astronomy.
The location is a spot to observe in peace the magnificent spectacle of stars, planets, galaxies, constellations and nebulae that have left us wondering since the dawn of time.
ADVENTURE
The adventure tours will offer guests just that – an adventure!
This range of walking and biking excursions allow the force of the Desert to be revealed with the natural energy it deserves.
EXPEDITIONS
These tours are the most demanding and require a minimum of two days altitude acclimatization as many of these expeditions pass over four thousand meters above sea level.
From the heights of the volcanoes to the depths of the streams, these excursions present a range of unique challenges to all thrill seekers.
Amongst other things, you will hike through the mountains that populate the vast high Andean plains, and have given protection to the indigenous cultures of this region for centuries.
As the old cliché goes, with these tours; “The greater the effort, the greater the reward!”
Six swivel chairs and a powerful telescope will enable guests to take in the intricacies of the universe with real clarity while here.
This tour will spend time with the Ayllu of Coyo, meeting the families who live here, learning their traditional cultivation and irrigation mechanisms, while tasting typical food of the area, prepared by a local family.
The tour starts with a visit to Toconao, a local village known for its masonry and architecture which is typical of the area. Next - Tamarug´s forest, a woodland region en route to the National Reserve of Los Flamencos.
Trek through diverse rock formations and vegetation, including ancient cacti standing at over seven metres tall.
This extensive tour will take you across some of the most arid and inhospitable regions of the desert, recreating old routes formed by the ancient people of this area.
The excursion on mountain bike from the Ayllu of Quitor. From here the path winds through the spectacular gorges of the Cordillera de la Sal in the Catarpe Valley. The tour continues on the Garganta del Diablo.
Views of the Catarpe Valley, the oasis of San Pedro, Salar de Atacama, the Andes and Cordillera de Domeyko, all visible by the unique and eerie light...
The first stop - Machuca. Then - Putana Vado, Caspana, Altiplano... After lunch the journey continues to Chiu-Chiu. Finally - the village of Lasan, stopping at the lagoon of Inka Coya en route, then back to the hotel.
The first stop is a prime view across the Tambo Valley. The walk continues past petroglyphs and rock carvings before hitting the Cordillera de la Sal, and a scenic descent down to the San Pedro River.
Dunes of the Mars Valley, Coca Stone... This challenging half-day trek begins with a climb to the base of the cornices of the Catarpe Valley, to enjoy the expansive views before your descent.
This extended expedition begins with an ascent at the south-western edge of Laguna Verde (4,350 m) on the eastern slope of Juriques Volcano, near the Bolivian border.
The first stop - Tulor. Then - the village of San Pedro to explore the old city and its church. Finally, visit Pucara of Quitor; a Pre-Hispanic village - example of original native heritage.
This excursion is a specially designed route created to prepare guests for the acclimatization and skills necessary to then go on to enjoy high altitude volcano climbing.
The trip begins in the region of Hierbas Buenas. Here you will find ancient petroglyphs. Having explored the caves and rock faces, move onto Rainbow Valley.
Recreating an ancient route taken by migrating local shepherds and their flocks for many centuries, you will begin this full day hike in the wetlands of Vado Machuca.
Amid the mountain range stands the pointy top of Volcan Soquete, near the Tatio Geysers. It is an excellent tour to go into the mountains and observe the unique flora and fauna of the area.
The crystal clear salt waters of the Tebinquinche Lagoon, surrounded by the imposing Cordillera mountains... The landscape shift and change as the sun rises, and the light levels move across the plains.
The tour is an extensive observation of the Catarpe Valley, and it´s many faces. Beginning with the church of San Isidro, then - walk the plateaus and gorges leading to Ancient Tambo. After - the San Pedro River.
You will explore the Geysers, which consist of large pools of boiling water and mud, fumaroles, and natural hot springs. This is also a good chance to appreciate the unique flora and fauna.
The walk along the cliffs of the Cordillera de la Sal, the perfect place to observe the Catarpe Valley, the oasis of San Pedro, the Salar de Atacama, the Andes, the Cordillera de Domeyko, and even Alto Atacama itself!
The tour of Ojos del Salar takes us to two incredibly deep freshwater pools which emerge unannounced from the arid Desert plains. The trip is noteworthy for its conclusion on the banks the Turquoise Lagoon of Tebinquinche.
The Toco Volcano tour begins in an old abandoned sulphur mine near the border between Chile and Bolivia. From here, the ascent up the volcano begins.
This tour allows guests to enter a sanctuary of nature and geology. The Valley of the Moon is a spectacular geological formation created through the conflicting pressures of the Andes and the Cordillera de Domeyko.
Park of Quepiaco, the Salar de Pujsa, the “Pecan monks”... The Wetlands tour offers the chance to delve deep into the Andean landscape, observing a variety of wildlife.
ALTO ATACAMA DESERT LODGE & SPA
Camino Pukará s/nSuchorAyllú de QuitorSan Pedro de AtacamaChile