Experienced guides take guests on unique, spectacular excursions to every corner of the surrounding desert. Hike an ancient caravan route through Devil’s Canyon, see ancient petroglyphs in Vilama, or the abandoned mountain village of Peñaliri near Rio Grande. Visit the remote altiplanic lagoons of Aguas Calientes or Tatio Geysers. Jump in the natural hot spring pools at the bottom of River Puritama. For the extreme adventurer, climb Lascar Volcano, Chile’s most active volcano, for a full day of mountaineering and unequal scenery.

Those who want to skip daily excursions, Tierra Atacama offers private terraces with outdoor beds, perfect for curling up with a book or taking a nap. There are also gardens filled with native species, a small orchard, vegetable garden, medicinal herb gardens, as well as several fields of alfalfa and other crops, plus the luxurious Uma Spa.

Uma Spa, which is an Aymara word for “water,” boasts an outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, and an indoor heated pool. Three treatment rooms provide soothing cocoons filled with candlelight, relaxing music, and aromatherapy oils. Bask in a facial, massage, body wrap, and other treatments using natural desert elements such as volcanic mud, lithium rich salt, and desert herbs. Take in the steam room or Turkish bath to quench your body after a day in the dry air of the desert.

Tierra Atacama´s chef creates world-class traditional Andean dishes. Using locally sourced beef, Chilean lamb, fish and seafood, each dish is topped off with seasonal fruits and vegetables from the hotel’s own garden. Try Chilean crab-filled pastry, grilled pear salad with camembert, tender ostrich fillet with cabernet sauce. For dessert, taste traditional southern crumb kuchen with cabernet sauvignon ice cream. In addition, the hotel provides guests the opportunity to taste both little known vintages and well-known Chilean wines.