Atacama Desert, Chile
Nayara Alto Atacama
The Alto Atacama Desert Lodge and Spa is the product of an incredible design vision; local Chilean architects and designers came together to create a breathtaking hotel offering the greatest luxury to its guests whilst blending seamlessly into the desert landscape. The Alto Atacama Desert Lodge and Spa is the product of an incredible design vision; local Chilean architects and designers came together to create a breathtaking hotel offering the greatest luxury to its guests whilst blending seamlessly into the desert landscape.
The Alto Atacama Desert Lodge and Spa is the product of an incredible design vision; local Chilean architects and designers came together to create a breathtaking hotel offering the greatest luxury to its guests whilst blending seamlessly into the desert landscape. The Alto Atacama Desert Lodge and Spa is the product of an incredible design vision; local Chilean architects and designers came together to create a breathtaking hotel offering the greatest luxury to its guests whilst blending seamlessly into the desert landscape.
Location
Situated in the Catarpe Valley, surrounded by the Salt Mountain range and not far from San Pedro, Alto Atacama bleeds into its terracotta surrounding cliffs. About 75 minutes from Calama, this is a secluded and dramatic location of huge skies and fantastical landforms. The hotel benefits from staggering space and the most wonderful silence; you will feel totally enveloped by the landscape.
Accommodation
The concept of Alto Atacama is deeply connected to the local culture, which is incorporated into the look and feel of the internal spaces. The warm reds and browns, natural materials and textures, along with roaring fires, create an ambience of calm authenticity. From the exterior, the gardens and buildings were all designed and built by local people who were motivated by paying tribute to the traditions of the native desert inhabitants.
Try delicious local Chilean cuisine in the Ckelar restaurant, with many of the ingredients sourced from the hotel’s own Andean garden. From the shade of the traditional Atacama “Quincho” (an outdoor barbeque pavilion), you will gaze into the surrounding majesty of the desert and mountains. Why not enhance the view and the food with the hotel’s hand-picked selection of Chile’s best wines? A wine-pairing dinner will demonstrate why the Mediterranean climate of Chile is now producing some of the world’s best products.
Experiences
- Participate in driving, walking or cycling excursions to experience mesas, slot canyons, and the extraordinary landscape of “Moon Valley”.
- Hunt for petroglyphs left by the ancient culture of the Licanantay people.
- Visit the ancient hilltop fortress of Pucara de Quitor, part of the trading network to the coast.
- Visit the plazas and churches of the beautiful local settlement of San Pedro de Atacama.
- Spend an hour frollicking in the sand with the hotel’s very own herd of llamas and alpacas, having watched flamingos on the salt lagoon.
- After a day of exploring the surrounding desert, you are free to unwind in the spa; a chance to revitalise and hydrate your mind and body. Finnish saunas, Turkish baths, and outdoor hot tubs provide hours of relaxation.
- Feast your eyes with the awe of stars, planets and galaxies on the hotel’s telescope platform.
Positive Impact
We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.
Environment
The hotel kitchens are driven by the mission to offer sustainable and healthy food that uses local and seasonally available products while supporting local farmers and producers. The aim is to get to “zero kilometres” of distance between produce and kitchen.
Community
Alto Atacama is known in the area as being a stable place to work, and most of the hotel’s team comes from the neighbouring towns. Nayaro gives yearly scholarships to young people to finish high school, both in the area or other places in Chile.
Conservation
The Llama is a South American member of the camel family, closely related to the alpaca, guanaco and vicuna. They are very social domestic animals, and the legend goes that they were bred during or before the Inca Civilisation as a beast of burden. The hotel has a large Corral where the Llamas spend the day grazing on grass and delighting guests.
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