SteppesTravel
Menu
Popular Destinations
See our full list of destinations
Tailor-made & Group Tour Holidays
See all of our Holiday Ideas
About
Travelling Safely
Our Content
When to Go
Best time to visit
Our People
  • Amy Waters snow biking Our Team

    Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.

  • William Dalrymple Our Tour Experts

    We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.

  • Liz Bonnin Heroes and Heroines

    The people who lead the way when it comes to those things which matter to us: exploration, the environment, women’s empowerment and education.

Exterior of Hotel, Rock Formation, Alto Atacama Desert Lodge and Spa, Pukara de Quitor, Chile
Home Hotels Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa

Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa

Add to wishlist Contact us

Blending seamlessly with the burnt red rock face that forms its backdrop, Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa is burrowed at the foot of the ruins of Pukara de Quitor and appears to melt into the encompassing rocky landscape.

Thoughtfully built in the style of the centuries-old villages of the densely-cultural Altiplano, the property was designed with both authenticity and practicality in mind, so there are few luxurious touches with the exceptions of an aromatherapy spa and dazzling collection of six outdoor swimming pools.

An al fresco restaurant utilises local produce, an exceptional spot is dedicated to observing the night sky, and guests are accommodated on an all-inclusive basis that contains expert-guided excursions.

Why we like Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa

In these extensive and dry altiplano regions where the Andes are at their widest, the stone is the not only the simplest material to procure but the one that makes the least visual impact on the landscape. In keeping with this external aesthetic, the property’s 42 rooms are dark and neutral-toned to allow the eyes to rest from the strong sunlight. Their simple interior styling is offset by plush bathrooms, and each boasts a private terrace with views to either the gardens, lagoon or Catarpe Valley.

Sustainability

Veronica, the landscape architect behind the grounds of Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa, is on a personal mission to climb the surrounding mountains and volcanoes solitarily in search of ancient seeds that might have been used by the original inhabitants of this area, who settled 20,000 years ago.

With great success, she has cultivated crops of Andean corn, blue potatoes and giant lima beans, all yielded from old seeds found in the mountains or obtained in dealings with the locals. The crops are irrigated through a process of flooding the dry soil with the guests’ discarded wastewater. No chemicals are used to facilitate the fruitful growing of crops here – instead, llama dung is the fertiliser.

Activities

Guests are encouraged to foster a feeling of solidarity with nature, be it through indulging in an invigorating spa treatment that utilises glacial water, spending an evening tranquilly star-gazing, or sinking in to the ground in a decadent Turkish bath. Outside of the property, the expertly guided excursions take guests to otherworldly valleys, world-renowned geysers, high-altitude salt flats and great turquoise lagoons.

Facilities

  • Expertly guided excursions
  • Unique gardens
  • Six pools
  • Spa with outdoor Turkish baths, hot tubs and sauna
  • Restaurant and authentic barbeque
Read more

Ideally suited for

  • Romantic/Honeymoon
  • Adventure Traveller

Price guide

£££££

Location

Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa is located just ten minutes away from the centre of the high-altitude market town of San Pedro de Atacama, yet relishing in the solitude of the arid desert.

Idea
Bolivia
Deserts and Salt Flats of Chile and Bolivia
Journey from the driest desert in the world to the largest salt flat on earth. Travelling in a top of the range 4×4, accompanied by private driver and guide and staying in award winning lodges, this immersive overland adventure is brimming with…
12 days from £11,000pp
Uyuni Salt Flats, Altiplano, Bolivia
View Holiday Idea
Idea
Chile
Cruise the Patagonian Fjords
Navigate in an exclusive vessel through fjords and channels in the shadow of soaring mountains and creaking glaciers, exploring native sub-polar forests on foot and searching for signs of resident wildlife along the periphery of Patagonia.
10 days from £3,150pp
Ushuaia aerial view from the Martial Glacier, Tierra del Fuego in Argentina
View Cruise
Idea
Bolivia
Journey through Peru, Bolivia & Chile
Travel by train, coach, boat and 4×4 on a unique one-way journey through Peru, Bolivia and Chile, seeing remarkable sites like Machu Picchu, Sun island on Lake Titicaca, sparkling salt flats and the world’s driest desert.
15 days from £6,210pp
Licancabur and Juriques Volcanoes, Moon Valley, Atacama Desert, Chile
View Holiday Idea
Idea
Chile
Highlights of Chile
Explore the length of this filament of a country, full of vast and varied landscapes, from the lunar-like Atacama Desert in the north to the finger-like granite peaks of the Torres del Paine National Park in the south, with time spent amongst…
10 days from £4,545pp
Flamingos, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
View Holiday Idea
Idea
Chile
Drive the Carretera Austral
Embark on a self-drive adventure in Chile on the iconic Carretera Austral, a remote road that cuts through the stunning mountainous scenery of the Aysen region of northern Patagonia, making detours to see traditional coastal villages, visit iconic cave systems and stay…
10 days from £2,990pp
Carretera Austral, Cerro Castillo, Patagonia, Chile
View Holiday Idea

Need Inspiration?
Browse our Chile holiday ideas.

We know a thing or two about bespoke holidays – we’ve been creating them since 1989. Take a trip through the Chile holidays that we love today.

Idea
Bolivia
Deserts and Salt Flats of Chile and Bolivia
Journey from the driest desert in the world to the largest salt flat on earth. Travelling in a top of the range 4×4, accompanied by private driver and guide and staying in award winning lodges, this immersive overland adventure is…
12 days from £11,000pp
Uyuni Salt Flats, Altiplano, Bolivia
View Holiday Idea
Idea
Chile
Cruise the Patagonian Fjords
Navigate in an exclusive vessel through fjords and channels in the shadow of soaring mountains and creaking glaciers, exploring native sub-polar forests on foot and searching for signs of resident wildlife along the periphery of Patagonia.
10 days from £3,150pp
Ushuaia aerial view from the Martial Glacier, Tierra del Fuego in Argentina
View Cruise
Idea
Bolivia
Journey through Peru, Bolivia & Chile
Travel by train, coach, boat and 4×4 on a unique one-way journey through Peru, Bolivia and Chile, seeing remarkable sites like Machu Picchu, Sun island on Lake Titicaca, sparkling salt flats and the world’s driest desert.
15 days from £6,210pp
Licancabur and Juriques Volcanoes, Moon Valley, Atacama Desert, Chile
View Holiday Idea
Idea
Chile
Highlights of Chile
Explore the length of this filament of a country, full of vast and varied landscapes, from the lunar-like Atacama Desert in the north to the finger-like granite peaks of the Torres del Paine National Park in the south, with time…
10 days from £4,545pp
Flamingos, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
View Holiday Idea
Idea
Chile
Drive the Carretera Austral
Embark on a self-drive adventure in Chile on the iconic Carretera Austral, a remote road that cuts through the stunning mountainous scenery of the Aysen region of northern Patagonia, making detours to see traditional coastal villages, visit iconic cave systems…
10 days from £2,990pp
Carretera Austral, Cerro Castillo, Patagonia, Chile
View Holiday Idea
View all holiday ideas View all cruises

Where to stay in Chile

Our team has handpicked this collection of properties to give you luxury options in styles to suit any journey.

More luxury accommodation

Chile

Hotel Casa Higueras

  • £££££

Perched on an impressive hillside vantage point that overlooks the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Valparaiso and its bay, Hotel Casa Higueras is a former 1920s mansion house turned charming boutique hotel. Hidden behind a simple…

 Swimming Pool, Hotel Casa Higueras, Valparaiso, Chile View Property
Chile

Tierra Patagonia Hotel & Spa

  • Wilderness
  • £££££

Overlooking Lake Sarmiento and the majestic granite towers of Torres del Paine National Park, Tierra Patagonia Hotel & Spa is a native lenga wood structure that rises discreetly from the earth at the “End of the…

 Tierra Patagonia, Chile View Property
Chile

Hotel Antumalal

  • £££££

Concealed within a remarkable 14-acre private park, Hotel Antumalal is a boutique property that benefits from its own private beach and staggering panoramic views over Lake Villarrica. Sculpted from native rock, the on-site spa offers an…

 Hotel Antumalal, Lake District, chile View Property
Chile

Explora Atacama

  • Wilderness
  • £££££

Designed to blend seamlessly with the colours and materials of the desert, Explora Atacama combines contemporary architecture with old stable yard-style accommodation blocks. Its 50 rooms, each accessed by crossing an original stone courtyard, are all…

 Explora Atacama, Atacama Desert, Chile View Property
Chile

Zero Hotel

  • £££££

Zero Hotel is a small boutique residence set in the peaceful neighbourhood of Lautaro Rosas in Cerro Alegre, within walking distance of local attractions and some of the finest restaurants in Valparaiso. Accommodation at Zero Hotel…

 Zero Hotel, Valparaiso, Chile View Property
Chile

Gomero Hotel

  • £££££

A family-run hotel centrally located in the town of Hanga Roa on Easter Island, Gomero Hotel is a quaint property with air-conditioned rooms and a swimming pool. Surrounded by tropical gardens, and featuring a friendly bar…

 Pool Area, Gomero Hotel, Easter Island, Chile View Property

Start planning your trip

01285 880 980

Send us an enquiry

Complete our enquiry form and start your next journey.

Enquire

James put together what proved to be a fabulous itinerary in Chile. We were slightly concerned that with 11 flights in 3 weeks we might be overdoing it, but the experiences in each location more than justified the travel, and James's first-hand experience proved invaluable.

Destination: Chile
Travel Expert: James

Why Choose Steppes?

Our knowledge and expertise set us apart. So too our curiosity. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.

Are you ready to discover extraordinary once again?


More about Steppes

F L E X I B I L I T Y P R O M I S E B O O K W I T H C O N F I D E N C E

Featured in the press