Tierra Atacama

On the edge of the San Pedro de Atacama oasis in northern Chile, Tierra Atacama Hotel & Spa occupies a position at the boundary between the irrigated agricultural landscape of the Atacama Valley and the open desert that stretches to the salt flats, volcanoes, and geothermal fields of one of the driest environments on earth. The 32 suites are arranged in a low-rise complex of adobe and local stone that uses the Atacameño architectural tradition of thick earthen walls and deep interior spaces to maintain comfortable temperatures in a landscape of extreme daytime heat and cool nights, with the outdoor pool and spa’s thermal water reflecting the volcanic geothermal activity that characterises this section of the Andes. The all-inclusive format encompasses guided excursions, spa access, and meals in a programme calibrated to the logistics of exploring the Atacama’s dispersed landscapes.

The excursion programme covers the Atacama’s extraordinary range of geological and natural phenomena: the El Tatio geysers at 4,500 metres, the salt flats of the Salar de Atacama with their flamingo populations and lithium brine ponds, the Valle de la Luna’s salt formations and sunset light, and the altiplano lagoons of the high Andes where vicuña graze at 4,000 metres. The ALMA telescope facility’s public access programme and the San Pedro Valley’s rock art sites of the pre-Columbian Atacameño culture round out a programme of extraordinary geographical and cultural breadth. The kitchen draws on the Atacameño culinary heritage and the remarkable quinoa, maize, and chilli production of the Andean oasis communities.

Tierra Atacama’s spa programme uses the geothermal water and mineral-rich clays of the Atacama desert in a treatment menu that treats the volcanic landscape’s resources as therapeutic assets, and the hotel’s conservation work with the Atacameño communities includes support for the traditional water management systems — the pre-Columbian irrigation canals — whose maintenance is essential to the survival of the oasis agriculture on which the valley’s human community depends.