Against the burnt-sienna cliffs of the Quebrada de Chulacao, where eroded volcanic rock rises in near-vertical walls above the oasis of San Pedro de Atacama, the low adobe structures of Alto Atacama Desert Lodge — now rebranded as Nayara Alto Atacama — seem less built than deposited by the landscape itself. Chilean architect Rodrigo Searle designed the property to follow the contours of an ancient river canyon, arranging its 42 rooms and suites in single-storey clusters that keep the roofline below the surrounding ridgeline. Rammed earth walls, river-stone detailing, and cane-thatched pergolas draw directly from the vernacular construction of the Atacameño people, lending the compound an organic coherence that no amount of imported material could replicate. Inside, the logic holds. Terracotta floor tiles run continuously from the guest corridors into the rooms themselves, grounded by dark timber headboards inlaid with cane strips and dressed in linen the colour of desert sand. The lounge at the heart of the property clusters low sofas upholstered in rough-woven textiles alongside wire bistro chairs, the bar hung with pendant lights fashioned from bundled dried grasses — a detail that manages to feel genuinely local rather than decoratively folkloric. The pool terrace, edged in rough-cut stone and framed by timber pergolas, keeps the eye moving toward the cliffs rather than inward toward the hotel, which is precisely the point.

1hr 20min drive from El Loa airport (CJC)

Nayara Alto Atacama is located in the fertile Catarpe valley, just 3 kilometers away from the San Pedro plaza. Our total area is 3.5 hectares, with a park area of 2 hectares. The Hotel has 42 spacious rooms and state of the art facilities including an award-winning spa, business center, hot tub, wooden decks with 6 swimming pools and we offer more than 25 excursions to get a closer look at the Atacama Desert