explora Atacama

Customer Ratings
This is a Satisfaction Rating based on our own customer feedback

Exceptional experience-driven hotel with its own brand of adventurous and totally unpretentious luxury, epitomised by an included programme of special tailored activities.

An exceptional first class property, Explora Atacama is situated within a stone’s throw of snow-capped volcanoes, shimmering salt plains, Andean peaks and some of the world’s most advanced astronomical research centres. With all this and more on its doorstep, the hotel has something to offer everyone – from individuals, families and groups to the most adventure-seeking travellers.

Explora specialises in its own completely unpretentious brand of luxury: you can speed across salt flats on a mountain bike or just relax by a pool watching the most intensely vivid sunset you'll probably ever see.

Your stay includes numerous excursions per day, tailored to your individual interests and fitness. Activities range from climbing and trekking to cycling and horse riding in the sand dunes, as well as less strenuous pastimes such as archaeological tours and sunset trips to the Moon Valley, with its beautiful sandstone rock formations and striking colours at dawn and dusk. The lodge even has its own observatory for night-time observation of the Atacama's famously starry skies. In between adventures, the grounds are a wonderful place to relax and admire the spectacular lunar surroundings.

What our clients say

“For me this was perfect and worth the money. I really appreciated being able to tailor the trips during the day and if necessary have a guide too. The food was excellent.”
ME, Angel
Sep 2013
“Outstanding/worldbeating - totally enjoyed every single aspect. Although price is high, their priorities and values are spot on - it pressed all my buttons and would look to repeat the experience in Patagonia next time.”
DH, Bigger
Jul 2013
"They have it just right in everything-rooms, service, guiding, activities and dining."
FL, Dewsbury
Jan 2014
“Explora en Atacama just fantastic.”
CS, Exmouth
Nov 2013
"Restaurant and rooms good. Trips and horse riding excellent."
DB, London
Jan 2014
"Explora en Atacama is vvvvv good. Atacama Desert - this was the most amazing place in the world and we have travelled a lot. The hotel was excellent thinking about our needs all the time. We were concerned about the trips with a 5 year old but we should not have been. The guide David was particularly good, keeping a watchful eye on Tom all the time so we could relax and ejoy the excursions thoroughly.”
GM, Woodford Green
Dec 2013

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Our expert's view

Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert

Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

This explora property is exquisite, and while there’s so much to be said about the exceptional activities it’s a beautiful place to come back to at the end of the day too. In the early evening the views of the towering Andes to the north and east are simply magical, with beautiful pastel shades of blue and pink, and best enjoyed from the outdoor deck with a glass of chilled Chilean wine.

Get in touch Meet our experts

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Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

Get in touch Meet our experts

Lina Fuller - Travel Expert
Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.
Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert
After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!
Ben Line - Travel Expert
Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.
Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert
Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.
Chris Rendell-Dunn - Travel Expert
Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.
Hannah Donaldson - Travel Expert
Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is a much valued Travel Expert in our Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tours sales team.