Chile: Atacama Desert: Altiplanico

The Atacama desert, at first sight harsh and inhospitable, was in fact home to a thriving pre-Columbian culture, of which many vestiges remain to this day. It stretches down the western flank of the Andes from Peru to northern Chile and has the reputation of being the driest in the world.

The small oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama is the main starting point for trips into the Atacama Desert with its dramatic and varied landscapes: vast sand dunes, glistening white expanses of salt flats, bubbling geysers and hot springs, rugged canyons and volcanoes.

The stylish, terracotta-coloured Altiplanico is located on the outskirts of San Pedro de Atacama, with nice views of the cordillera and Licancabur Volcano. It is a 15minute walk (bring a torch at night) along a dusty road into the centre of town.

Curving adobe walls, straw roofs and simple doors and windows open up into cool spacious interiors. There are 32 rooms with adobe sculpted furniture, Balinese haberdashery, nice hot showers and a little terrace out front. Some also have roof terraces and some fireplaces outside. There is no TV or minibar. All rooms are quite
individual, some have roof terraces, some fireplaces outside, and all have a little terrace out the front. There are unusual etchings in the stone walls, such as geckos.

A cool shady area outside with sofas made of adobe and an inviting pool area with loungers are both welcome luxuries after a day’s sightseeing in the desert. There is also a good restaurant.