Nayara Alto Atacama

While some other Chilean adventure hotels go in for grand architectural gestures, Nayara Alto Atacama’s terracotta lodge was designed to blend in seamlessly with the environment that surrounds it. And when that environment is the otherworldly beauty of the Cordillera de Sal — the red, rugged Salt Mountains — in Chile’s Atacama Desert, the result, as subtle as it is, is one of the most visually striking hotels on the planet.

There are a number of luxury resorts in and around San Pedro, a literal oasis town in the heart of the highest, driest desert on Earth. But none embraces its environment the way the Nayara Alto Atacama does, and we’re not just talking about the architecture. Stroll through the hotel gardens, an “Andean park” designed to be a desert microcosm with indigenous plants and the traditional landscaping of the altiplano. Pick edible chañar as you hike nearby (you might run into the llamas and alpacas that live on these grounds too). And back in your thoroughly modern room or suite, relax on your private terrace as you take in the breathtaking Catarpe Valley by day and some of the world’s best stargazing by night.

They take hospitality seriously in this inhospitable part of the world, so you’ll be glad to know this hotel is all-inclusive — and that Nayara Alto Atacama’s restaurant, Caur, is one of the best in the region. Chef Daniel Molina offers a Mediterranean-style menu stocked with local, organic produce, and he takes his culinary cues from the indigenous population, who incorporate nearly everything that manages to grow here into their cuisine (and if you’d like to learn more about their culture, this is the right place: More than half of the staff is indigenous). Chef Molina grows some of his own herbs and fruits on the grounds of the hotel, and you’ll find local rica rica, an herb reminiscent of mint and rosemary, in your unforgettably good pisco sour (but don’t forget about the local wine — this is Chile, after all). And if you need help relaxing even more — perhaps after a long day exploring Incan ruins or biking through desert canyons — the Puri Spa, offering saunas, Turkish baths, and more, is among the best in Latin America.

Nayara Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa has a 3 night minimum stay requirement.