Plan Your Trip
This 3-day/2-night itinerary is just an example of a tour that can be designed by any guest at Tierra Atacama Hotel & Spa after selecting from the many activities and excursions offered. A boutique hotel situated within a stone's throw of snow-capped volcanoes, shimmering salt pans and the Andes, the Tierra Atacama reflects the magical mood of the world's driest desert. Located on the edge of the tiny oasis village of San Pedro de Atacama, the hotel takes great advantage of this site in northern Chile’s stunning Atacama Desert, between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. What Tierra Atacama Hotel can therefore provide is an “adventure spa” experience, as guests can actively explore the stunning desert environment, and later return to the hotel for pampering at the spa or relaxation on the lodge’s grounds. Such stays at Tierra Atacama include access to a myriad of excursions in the area in groups of no more than eight guests – all led by expert guides. These outings range from driving tours to Altiplano lagoons, horseback riding, hiking through stunning scenery, visiting hot springs, mountain biking and exploring archaeological ruins.
Note: The following detailed itinerary is just an example of a tour that can be designed by any guest(s) at Tierra Atacama Hotel & Spa after selecting from the number of activities and excursions offered.
“The trip was excellent from beginning to end. The Isabella II was a fine ship and the crew and guides were all of the highest quality. I would recommend them to others. For us, the ship was the perfect size – not too small and not too large.”
AM: Arriving at Chile’s Calama airport, a Tierra Atacama representative will meet you and drive you along the scenic 92 km (57 miles) stretch of desert to your boutique hotel & spa in San Pedro de Atacama. After checking in, you will have lunch at the hotel and have a chance to rest up.
PM: Following a rich Atacama lunch at the hotel, we will head out to the Tatio Geysers, located at 4,300 meters (14,200 feet) above sea level. This geothermal field includes more than 80 active geysers that spurt 12-meter-high water-vapor columns from their pools of boiling hot water. On the return trip back to the hotel, you will have a chance to spot local wildlife, including vicuñas, foxes, vizcachas and Andean ostrich. We will also stop in the picturesque village of Machuca before reaching the hotel at noon.
AM: This morning, you can experience a great way to acclimatize yourself to the 2,400 meter (7,900 feet) altitude of San Pedro de Atacama. We will depart from the hotel on bicycles, heading northeast by the highway through the Salt Mountain Range, taking in an amazing view of the Andes volcanoes. We will remain at high-altitudes and see Death Valley rock formations from above, and then descend by old roads to the San Pedro oasis. As this excursion makes steep ascents and descents, it’s a great route for mountain biking enthusiasts.
PM: After lunch, we will travel east to the Licancabur Volcano, the guiding landmark of Atacama locals. The drive will take us up to an altitude of 4,700 meters (15,419 feet), where you will find stunning, colorful surroundings dotted with birds, wetlands and salt flats. After the paved road ends, the towering rock formations of Monjes de la Pacana come into view. From there, we will head to Tara, an unexpected salt lake that is a photographer’s dream come true given its desolate landscape. In this area rife with captivating scenery and wildlife, we will have lunch and then return to the hotel.
AM: Tierra Hotel & Spa provides a selection of rides on Atacama horses, with Chilean (western) style saddles, hard hats and chaps supplied. The horses are mounted on the hotel grounds, and a local guide leads the rides, which range from beginner- to expert-level. Your outing will provide you a complete immersion in the desert and its mysteries as you follow trails of an age-old civilization at ambling gaits past lagoons, dunes, and canyons of the Andean foothills.
PM: Concluding this amazing Atacama experience, we will have a farewell lunch at the hotel before you pack up and are driven back to the Calama airport for your flight home or onward.
| Days | ||
| Oriente & Poniente | ||
| Single | Double | |
| 3 | US$ 1,950 PP | US$ 1,550 PP |
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