When you think about deserts, what springs to mind? For me it’s mighty, Saharan-style sand dunes that undulate for miles. So it’s always a shock when you arrive in the Atacama to a stark, moon like landscape filled with terracotta coloured craggy mountains, volcanoes and salt lakes.
The Atacama Desert is truly one of the most astonishing places on earth and, other than the vast array of activities you can do there, its charm for me lies in the space and breath-taking quiet where you can hear the salt crack and flamingos sip in the lagoons.
However, this magical land is also one of the most visited places in Chile and it’s hard to be moved by a place when surrounded by bus loads of tourists and selfie sticks.
So how you experience the Atacama and where you stay is really important. On my recent visit, I was lucky to be staying at Awasi Atacama, a hotel on the outskirts of the main town of San Pedro. There are just 12 adobe casitas and each comes with its own private guide and 4WD. Flexibility is definitely one of Awasi’s greatest luxuries, so you can explore at your own pace, visiting what you want, when you want.
I flew in to Calama airport, the main gateway to the Atacama, and the journey to my hotel was an excursion in itself as we drove through Moon Valley, which is utterly stunning at sunset.
On arrival, with a Pisco Sour in hand, I went through my programme with my private guide. There’s biking, hiking and horse-riding available in the most stunning locations. I mapped out what I wanted to do during my stay, then settled in for a fabulous dinner. Awasi prides itself on producing menus that reflect the location. Beautifully presented and bursting with flavour from locally sourced ingredients, each dish comes paired with local wines.
The next morning I set off on my first adventure, descending to the riverbed in the shadow of the Cardón cactus as I hiked to the hamlet of Guatin.
If you prefer more arduous hiking then there is an array of volcanoes you can scale.
That afternoon I was driven out to the salt flats to witness flocks of pink flamingos.
It was the most mesmerising sight, sat face to face with one of the beautiful creatures gracefully wading through the saline waters.
My visit to the Tatio Geysers took me to over 4,300 metres. The higher up you go, it’s amazing to see the flora and fauna change, whilst llamas are replaced with the vicuña.
Awasi does things differently, so when I went to visit the geysers we arrived at 8:00am (rather than 6:00am) when the place had emptied of tourists, so I could appreciate the bubbling, steaming landscape of the world’s third largest geyser field, in peace.
With little to no light pollution and dry, typically cloud-free weather (it receives as little as half an inch of rainfall per year), the Atacama also has one of the planet’s clearest night skies, so star gazing is a must.
From the driest desert on earth with its lunar-like valleys, the Atacama should definitely be on your bucket list. Awasi distinguishes itself from other Atacama hotels by offering private, tailored and adventurous guest itineraries. They also have properties in Chilean Patagonia and Iguassu and all three can be combined in an amazing itinerary.
Please do get in touch if you are interested in an adventure to Chile or elsewhere in South America as I have travelled the length and breadth of the Continent and know all the wonderful places to stay, the most amazing things to see and the best ways to combine locations.