Overview
Explora Atacama Chile
Go Deepeer with Explora
Tucked away near the oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama, Explora offers an unrivaled journey through one of the planet’s most otherworldly landscapes.
Our expertly guided explorations go far beyond sightseeing, inviting you to connect deeply with the desert’s breathtaking landscapes, vast salt flats, smoking geysers, and lunar valleys.
After days of discovery, return to the lodge and unwind with four serene pools, a restorative spa, and stargazing from our private observatory under some of the clearest skies on Earth.
Our culinary experience celebrates local ingredients with a fresh, contemporary approach that reflects the soul of this territory. Ride across dunes from our private stables, hike or bike through the Altiplano, and soak in the Puritama hot springs, located within Explora’s own conservation reserve — an exclusive privilege for our travelers.
Committed to the highest standards for social and environmental performance.
Awards and Recognitions
Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best 2025 All Inclusive - South America
The World’s Leading Expedition Company for six consecutive years.
Chile’s Leading Boutique Hotel 2020
Best Hotels in the World by Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ 2022 Choice Awards
The Atacama Desert –
Where Silence Meets the Stars
Atacama is unlike anywhere else on Earth. The highest and driest desert in the world, it is an extreme landscape that unfolds like a vision from another planet. Salt flats stretch endlessly, volcanoes tower above crimson valleys, and the silence is so profound you can almost hear the salt crack beneath your feet.
Life thrives in surprising forms, where a mere trickle of water brings rare, vibrant ecosystems to life. For thousands of years, Indigenous cultures have lived in harmony with this harsh but beautiful land, honoring its rhythms and mysteries. And when night falls, the desert sky opens up like nowhere else on earth, offering the clearest, most breathtaking view of the stars you’ll ever see. | explora.com
Stay in a Stunning Oasis
Our award-winning lodge is located just steps from the lively main street of San Pedro de Atacama. Surrounded by over 17 hectares of private land, it offers the perfect balance of accessibility and peaceful seclusion.
Designed by renowned Chilean architect Germán del Sol, the lodge uses local materials and draws inspiration from the colors and textures of the Altiplano. Its architecture blends seamlessly into the environment, creating comfortable and thoughtful spaces that serve as a welcoming base camp where guests can relax, recharge, and fully embrace the spirit of exploration.
Accommodations
More Than 30 Explorations
Round-trip Airport Transfers
At scheduled times
Spa Facilities
All Meals and Beverages
Entrance Fees
To national parks
Ask for additional services such as massages and private explorations.
The lodge’s common areas offer comfortable spaces to connect, relax, or simply enjoy the silence of the desert.
Yali Room (above) and Suite Room (right), offering serene views of the surrounding gardens.
Enjoy a scenic walk through our desert gardens to reach the outdoor hot tubs and pools—an oasis of relaxation under the vast Atacama sky.
Enjoy Authentic Cuisine
We present an authentic, handcrafted daily menu that highlights the bold flavors and rich culinary traditions of Chile’s Atacama region. Savor fresh locally inspired dishes while enjoying spectacular views from our dining room, where every meal is an experience in itself.
Flexible Daily Itineraries with Your Expert Guide
Our Explorations feature classic routes to iconic sites as well as Signature Explorations, designed and operated exclusively by Explora in the region’s most remote and pristine locations. Every adventure is customized to match with your skills and interests — something you’ll experience every evening as part of our flexible, day-by-day itinerary building, when your Explora guide meets with you to tailor the next day’s Explorations to your preferences.
On-Site Stables and Horses Bred for Exploration
Exploring the desert on horseback offers a rare and unforgettable connection to the vast landscapes of Atacama. At Explora, it’s one of our most iconic ways to experience the territory.
Our exclusive stables—located on our own property—are home to a unique breed of horses, carefully raised and trained by our team to thrive in the desert environment. Suitable for riders of all experience levels, these horses, along with our expert guides, allow you to reach remote areas that few travelers ever see.
Moving through the desert on horseback is unlike any other form of exploration: silent, unhurried, and intimately in tune with the land. It’s a journey of discovery that’s as profound as it is personal.
Stargaze from Explora’s Observatory
San Pedro de Atacama is world-renowned for its clear skies and incredible stargazing. See these dazzling night skies from our very own onsite Observatory, with guided star tours and Explorations that reveal the Milky Way, planets and endless constellations.
Exclusive Pools Reserved Just For Explora Guests
Our private Puritama Conservation Reserve encompasses a unique ecoregion deep in an Andean canyon of the Atacama Desert, and protects an important river oasis and sanctuary for endangered wildlife. Guest staying at Explora Atacama enjoy privileged access to Explora-only Explorations, including the opportunity to swim in its naturally occurring, mineral-rich hot springs.
Discover Unique and Authentic Explorations
Experts in Desert Exploration
Enjoy a variety of expertly guided Explorations, included as part of your stay at Explora Atacama. Discover salt flats, geysers, valleys, volcanoes, and ancient archaeological sites on full- and half-day journeys—each one carefully tailored to your abilities and designed for small groups of no more than eight travelers.
Explorations span six distinct zones of the Atacama Desert and Altiplano, and include guided hikes, bike rides, horseback explorations, high-mountain ascents, and exclusive Explora-only routes into some of the region’s most remote and awe-inspiring landscapes.
More Than 30 Explorations
Led by Explora’s Expert Guides
Curate Your Daily Explorations Each Evening
Huayra
El Tatio Geysers
Classic Explorations
These carefully designed journeys offer the perfect introduction to the region’s most emblematic sites and are ideal for first-time visitors and seasoned explorers alike.
Hike over the El Tatio Geysers, one of the highest geothermal fields on Earth, or walk through the lunar-like terrain of the Valley of the Moon, where wind-sculpted rock formations tell the story of time. Soak in the warm waters of the Puritama Hot
Puritama Hotsprings
Gran Salar
Springs, nestled in a hidden canyon. For those seeking adventure, ascend the Lascar Volcano and take in sweeping views of the desert and surrounding peaks.
Each Classic Exploration is led by our expert guides and crafted to immerse you in the dramatic beauty, silence, and scale of Atacama’s vast territory.
See all explorations here.
Signature Explorations
These Explorations offer a deeper, more intimate connection to the Atacama Desert. Venture beyond the well-known into the most remote and awe-inspiring corners of the Atacama Desert with our Signature Explorations, designed for those who seek depth, and discovery.
Ride on horseback across vast open plains from our private stables, where silence and solitude frame every step. Cycle along high-altitude trails through the Andean Altiplano, past salt lakes and ancient settlements. Or test your limits with a guided ascent of one of the region’s towering volcanoes, rewarded by panoramic views few ever witness.
See all explorations here.
| explora.com
Matancilla
Dunas de la Chula
Tambores
Volcan Blanco
Additional Information
Getting to the Atacama Desert
Once you arrive in Santiago, Chile’s capital, take a connecting flight to Calama, the gateway to the Atacama Desert.
From there, our team will welcome you and transfer you on a scenic drive to Explora Atacama, located near the oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama.
Best Time to Travel
Atacama’s high-altitude desert climate offers clear skies year-round, with two main seasons. From April to October, the dry season brings cooler temperatures, abundant sunshine, and crisp nights. July is the coldest month, with average temperatures around 44.6°F (7°C).
The warmer season, from November to March, features milder nights and occasional summer rains, making for dramatic desert skies and vibrant contrasts in the landscape.
Contact Information
To book your stay or for additional information, contact us at reserve@explora.com
Our toll-free numbers:
United States
+1 (855) 733-0262
Chile
+56 2 2395 2800
United Kingdom
08000869054
Perú 080071646
Argentina
+54 11 5199 0564
View our terms and conditions here.
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