AWASI ATACAMA

The menu at the outdoor restaurant - candlelit in evenings - hones in on regional flavours and ingredients that can't be found elsewhere in the country, many coming from ayllus (Andean farming communes). Simple yet flavoursome, plates are inventively presented, such as pasta with spicy rica-rica or octopus causa (a Peruvian terrine). Breakfast sees fresh juices, fruit, pastries and breads alongside hot food. There is an outdoor grill, and local wines and Pisco Sours can be enjoyed on sofas around the terrace shaded by trees.

What truly sets this hotel apart is that each cabana is assigned a personal guide and 4x4. Your expert guide will arrange activities according to your interests, be it off-road nature safaris (spotting everything from flamingos to desert foxes), star gazing under clear night skies, riding horses or trekking llamas, walking through breathtaking valleys and canyons, heading out to see geysers and salt flats or driving over dunes in a buggy.

SUITABLE FOR:

• Nature enthusiasts
• Lover of the great outdoors
• Keen astronomers

THINGS TO DO AT THE HOTEL:

• Take a refreshing dip in the outdoor swimming pool
• Learn the secrets of Chilean cuisine at a cookery class with chef Jean Pablo Mardones
• Indulge yourself with an in-room massage or reflexology treatment
• Round off the day with a warming nightcap around the firepit

THINGS TO DO NEARBY:

• Have your personal guide take you to the otherworldly Moon Valley, sweeping salt flats or spectacular El Tatio geysers
• Go riding through the striking Dinosaur Valley
• Cycle or walk along vast nature trails
• Spot the region’s wildlife such as pink flamingos, guanacos, vicunas and grey foxes
• Head to Tulor to marvel at the stars from one of the most remote locations in the world
• Feel the adrenaline on a dune buggy ride or sand boarding experience
• Step back in time on an archaeological tour of the desert’s ancient rock art