Alto Atacama Desert Lodge

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.

Guests have an assortment of accommodation options to choose from, each with a spectacular view, private terrace and lovely en-suite bathroom.

Just 10 Tilo Suites, specially located in the gardens of Alto Atacama, with an open view to the quiet Lagoon and the Catarpe Valley. 27 Catarpe are 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. The 5 Quitor rooms are 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.

Alto Atacama offers 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 our open air observatory.

The excursion tours are Alto’s 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 our volcanoes to the depths of our 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!”

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 Lican Antai, to the Tiwanaku peoples, and later the Inca. This is a chance to understand the heritage of these local hosts a little better.

Whatever adventure you choose – rest assure an adventure it will be!