Luxury, adventure in the desert

Exploring Chile's other-worldly Atacama

	INTERACTIVE GALLERY

In this story: Hot geysers and warm springs Desert oasis RELATED STORIES, SITES

From Stephanie Oswald
CNN Travel Now Correspondent

SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA, Chile (CNN) -- Whether you're watching the sun melt into the Chilean sky or witnessing a field of geysers come to life before dawn, one thing is clear:

It may be the driest place in the world, but Chile's Atacama Desert is filled with an ocean of natural sensations.

It's a land of spacious skies and rugged mountains, stretching like a 600-mile snake between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, at more than 800 feet above sea level.

San Pedro de Atacama is a pocket of life in the desert, a community of about 3,000 residents that serves as a gateway into northern Chile.

Dusty but cheerful streets greet travelers from around the world, leading to the local market -- souvenirs are plentiful -- and to the town museum, where visitors can get a glimpse into the ancient Atacama world.

But it's the journey into the desert that seems to stay etched in travelers' minds.

Visitors to the Atacama may want to explore the rugged terrain on horseback

"You cannot imagine to find a place like this in a desert," one visitor said. "It's amazing. . It's really incredible in this place to find so many different landscapes. For me, to come here was a dream."

Desert travelers have more than 30 different excursions from which to choose. Ranging in levels of activity, the tours offer different tastes of South American archaeology, history and geology.

One is a trip to the El Tatio geysers, where water and steam shoot from the ground, often as high as 30 feet (9 meters).

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"It's absolutely out of this world," said one adventurer.

Another excursion requires a long drive over rough terrain, but there's a reward at the end: the springs of Puritama, a paradise of warm water and waterfall massages.

"Nature is so powerful, that you never get tired of it," said Giovanna Raineri, a tour leader. "Every day is different, even if you are in the desert. People think every day is the same, but it is very different."

The tour continues through the Valley of the Moon, where no rainfall ever has been recorded. Desolate salt flats are a permanent mineral blanket, a brilliant and unexplained natural phenomenon where ostriches and flamingos flock.

Chilean native Camilo Silva has spent six years introducing travelers to the gems of Atacama.

"We try to do things without a lot of tourists because the special thing is the landscape," Silva said. "When it is full of tourists, it is impossible to enjoy. That's the reason we look and we found the special places -- nobody goes there, and we bring people there."

One of the region's latest additions, the Explora en Atacama hotel, provides a luxurious home base for outdoor adventure-seekers

One of the newest home bases for these excursions is the Explora en Atacama, a luxury hotel that opened in 1998. It's a bit out of place in the countryside, but for adventurous souls who want to be pampered while they play, it's a veritable oasis.

The main lodge features a dining room, bar, and plenty of space to relax and mingle. Comfortable guest rooms offer views of volcanoes. After a day of exploring, guests can relax under the giant showerheads in their bathrooms or slip into bubbling jacuzzis.

"I think the concept of rest, I think it's changing," said Alejandro Goich, manager of Explora en Atacama. "It's not to go somewhere and do nothing. I think it's to go somewhere and do something different."

"It's exploration of the landscape here, of the culture, and finally some exploration of yourself."

The traveler's appetite for adventure also is taken into consideration -- literally. French chef Lorenzo Pasqualletto prepares cuisine tailored for high-energy, demanding days, including fresh fish, homemade pasta, and locally grown vegetables. The menu changes with the season, but it's always packed with protein and designed to be easy to digest, he says.

The cost of a week there may not be as easy to swallow. The price per couple is nearly $5,000 a week -- a sum, one guest suggested, as high as the Chilean mountains.

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Chile National Tourism Service
CDC Travelers' Health: Temperate South America
U.S. Consular Information Sheet: Chile

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