Atacama

A visit to San Pedro de Atacama unveils indulgent hotels and superb photographic opportunities, creating a glorious escape on a luxury Chilean holiday. The hardy residents of this unforgiving landscape still practise traditions that reach back to their Incan heritage. Renowned as one of the world’s finest stargazing sites, the region is now hosting construction of the planet’s most powerful telescope. Venture deep into the desert after nightfall to marvel at the countless pinpoints that form the Milky Way, and peer through giant telescopes to observe distant planets in astonishing detail.
By day, the main town feels laid-back and bohemian. Dusty streets shelter an eclectic mix of boutique shops, terrace cafés and colourful markets. Yet San Pedro’s greatest treasures lie beyond its adobe walls, in the remote high-altitude landscapes that surround it. Other-worldly vistas unveil glaring white salt flats, energetic geysers exhaling billowing steam, turquoise lagoons dotted with bright-pink flamingos and jagged, richly coloured rock outcrops. Some panoramas are so vivid and surreal they recall a Salvador Dalí canvas.
Climb into a 4×4 with a local guide for an exhilarating off-road journey into the wilderness, stopping at places such as Moon Valley to examine bizarre wind-sculpted formations. After every adventure, return to outstanding desert lodgings: from romantic thatched-roof cottages to boutique properties boasting fully equipped spas, the region’s luxury hotels ensure your stay in the Atacama is as unforgettable as the landscape itself.