How Nayara Alto Atacama in Chile Redefined Desert Luxury: A Comprehensive Hotel Review

Originally opened as Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa by Tánica Hotels, but now looked after by Nayara Resorts since 2020, this is a luxury lodge in the heart of the Atacama Desert. With a focus on sustainability and nature, we enjoyed 4 nights here (3 full days) taking part in many nearby activities; whilst also enjoying relaxation time in our suite (both open-view front terrace and enclosed rear terrace with stunning mountain top views) and in their Puri Spa with a selection of treatments and water experiences.

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The hotel entrance to Nayara Atacama

Although this Chile trip had to be reorganised a few times due to Covid and country restrictions, I was so glad that for this reinvention of the trip we were able to add in the Atacama Desert. There were four options that were in the running here hotel-wise, in addition to the Nayara Alto Atacama I had also considered Awasi, Explora and Tierra). All look different, but equally amazing; what swung it for me this time was that Alto Atacama had been taken over by Nayara Resorts who I’ve had an eye on for some time in their Costa Rica properties, but also this now being part of Leading Hotels of the World. It also tied in nicely with us then going on later in the trip to the other Nayara managed property in Chile (and also LHW) on Easter Island - Nayara Hanga Roa.

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Fast Facts for Nayara Alto Atacama

• Address - Camino Pukará, Suchor s/n, San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta.

• Contact - reservations@nayararesorts.com

• Nearest airport - Calama (CJC) - 97 km or 60 miles (about an 1hr 15mins transfer)

• Opened - Part of Nayara Resorts from 2020

• Number of rooms / suites - 42 total - 32 rooms (Catarpe King or Twin) & 10 suites (Tilo - King)

• Number of floors - 1 (all single level)

• Bars - 2 (Ckelar and Puri)

• Restaurants - 2 (Ckelar and Fogón Atacameño), Puri daytime too

• Wellbeing - Puri Spa - dry sauna, wet sauna (steamroom), Scottish showers, massages and spa treatments, mineral water private pools, swimming pools/jacuzzi

• Visited - February 2023

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Early morning day trip to the geysers north of the hotel

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“An eco-friendly hideaway that blends seamlessly into its natural desert surroundings.”

— https://nayaraaltoatacama.com/

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What about the Nayara Alto Atacama location?

We flew from Patagonia’s Puerto Natales airport, back to Santiago then another direct flight with LATAM Airlines to Calama (CJC) which took just under two hours. Here we were met by representatives from Nayara Alto Atacama and whisked off to the resort in just 1hr 15mins. It was a nice drive from the airport (passing fields of wind turbines and solar panels which reminded us of the Palm Springs desert), arriving early in the evening we saw the transition from dusk to sunset and arrived at the hotel just in time for dinner, after a prompt check-in.

The magnificent Atacama Desert Landscape

The main road from Calama is just that, a very smooth drive, then when the road turns a sharp right to reach the nearest town/village San Pedro de Atacama, we took a more bumpy route for the last 5-10 minutes to the hotel which just added to the excitement of visiting somewhere new and unique. This very unassuming road, and indeed the entrance to the resort itself, is from the side so we didn’t get a full view of how impressive this resort is, and looked forward to seeing it all the following morning in daylight.

There were so many activities organised by the hotel, including a shuttle service into nearby San Pedro de Atacama (a drive that would just take 5 minutes), or say to visit the Geysers Del Tatio in the north, this was a two hour drive - the longest of any we experienced. All the activities around and about do involve a drive, but these were excellently organised and executed by the hotel; and gave us an insight into the extreme diversity of this unique desert landscape environment.

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Hotel Accommodation at Nayara Alto Atacama

All single level, the base Catarpe rooms (32 in all) are spread on the perimeter of the resort with the 10 Tilo suites on a slightly elevated position to the side. We had one of the suites (number 33) at the end of the block of 10, which overlooked a natural pond and out over the llama pens and kitchen gardens. The key difference really between the suites and rooms is that the suites have an enclosed rear terrace out from the bathroom, with a large daybed again and an outside shower).

Naturally designed from colours to fabrics and materials/artwork, the enormous comfortable bed still allowed lots of space for additional inside comfortable seating, a small dining table for two and a huge console table for a large screen LCD TV, mini fridge (complimentary soft drinks and mineral water) and lots of storage space for luggage. There were double wardrobes too in the hallway into the large bathroom. The bathroom I loved, two sinks which I always think is great when space allows, heated floor (which despite the desert location and high daytime temperatures, was welcomed at nights when it’s much cooler), separate WC and a separate walk-in shower (bizarrely no light though in the shower area).

Although the room itself remained cool (air-conditioned and heating) with a covered over front terrace (large daybed as well as two individual recliners) the bathroom was light filled with floor to ceiling opening doors onto the enclosed terrace. Here you could take a shower under the sun or stars, and during the day could gaze in wonder at the tops of the terracotta mountains.

The suite was serviced morning and night, always beautifully presented, with chocolates left at bedtime, large bathrobes and all toiletries provided were sustainably sourced, like the provision of large apothecary verbena reusable bottles of shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and body lotion. Even the room card (which I’ve only ever seen plastic used before) was made from recyclable card; it was only on our last night and final morning where this was a bit quirky using it to switch on the power in the room.

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Food & Drink at Nayara Alto Atacama

The main building housed the small reception area (as well as a small gift shop and small outdoor clothing ‘Patagonia’ brand shop), the main Ckelar restaurant on one side and the Ckelar bar on the other, the bar also doubling as the outdoor activities co-ordinator area. All meals were served in the restaurant (depending on the package you book, this can be on a total experience or all-inclusive basis); breakfast, lunch and dinner. On entrance to the restaurant was a buffet area used in the mornings for breakfast (eggs and tea/coffee served) then two levels of seating areas - one fully inside and then a lower inside/outside level (glass walled and covered, albeit with an open rattan ceiling).

Lunch was also served here, we had this on our first full day, but felt having a three-course lunch was too much (albeit delicious) so on future days we opted (all included in the package and we were only to pay for drinks and an optional 10% service charge at each meal) to have lunch at the Puri Bar, next to the spa and swimming pools. Here there were two options - the first a full menu of main courses from wraps to burgers, gyozas to empanadas and french fries, and then a second bespoke salad menu. In addition to salad greens, you could choose first a protein (like chicken, roast beef, salmon etc. or for vegetarians and vegans tofu or goats cheese), then add from a whole section of salad items and then a dressing. I think more Brazilian but I enjoyed a cheeky Caipirinha and Caipiroska with lunches.

Although the dinner menu was fairly standard, on some nights it was mixed up a bit by offering a BBQ option with an array of salads to the table, but then for me there was a choice of fettuccine with different sauces. Food overall was excellent, I’m just not sure the pre-organised (and checked on arrival) dietary requirements were taken note of though; being served (as a vegetarian) bacon on my soup one night and given a cheese and ham ciabatta roll in a breakfast/lunch pack for the return journey to the airport (we had an early 6:45am start before breakfast was served in the restaurant).

Even when out on experiences, like a sunset drive where drinks and canapés were served (great choice) as the sun set behind the mountain ranges or to the very early start (6am) we had to visit the geysers at El Tatio and a full breakfast was served afterwards by a small lake with the most stunning mountainous views (and wildlife to boot), the quality was excellent. On the trip, breakfast consisted of fresh toast cooked on a campfire, freshly cooked scrambled eggs, ham, cheese, avocado as well as a choice of fruits and tea/coffee/juices with the most exceptional views surrounding us.

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Facilities & Service at Nayara Alto Atacama

As well as all experiences being included (for our full experience package you could have two half-day tours or one full-day; only paying for tips, laundry or spa), the small shop outlets mentioned above, the two restaurant/bars, the main focus was on the resort’s spa, which I loved. In a partially sunken building (the architecture throughout was so well considered for the desert/mountain landscape) the main spa building consisted of a small reception, small but beautifully presented changing rooms for male and female (toilets, showers, lockers and vanity area), wet sauna (what I’d call a steam room), a dry sauna, two treatment rooms (one double, more on this next, and a single internal room), and an open air relaxation area with loungers and the Scottish showers.

Basically these were overhead rain showers with side angled jets too; with the water pressure (presumably lower with the sustainability/environment focus) these didn’t really work particularly well. There was also the option, though we didn’t use, I think of having outside treatments on top of the spa building in an open-air but canopied/sided massage suite.

Although we couldn’t get any treatments booked on our first day or two (this always seemed to be a slightly complex process at reception not knowing whether what we did get to book was 100% confirmed) we made up for this later. First I booked hour-long deep tissue massages for us both one evening, following some time in the steam room and then relaxing in the sunken outdoor terrace. We were then taken through into the adjacent couple’s treatment suite - two massage beds, an open fire (which didn’t need to be on when we were there with the temperatures) and a huge slate tiled jacuzzi to use in the treatment suite after our massages). The next day I opted for an hour of reflexology followed by us both having the 30 minute ‘Cranium’ treatment. All the spa therapists were great.

Next to the spa, there was an area of six different pool areas - I’d thought that before being there having so many different pools was odd, but when there it made perfect sense. There was in addition a jacuzzi area that you could reserve by the hour (an hour for each room), then the six different pools (sunken) with sun loungers and tables adjacent all at different temperatures. This meant that rather than having a large open pool area which might feel busy (they said the hotel was full, but it never felt it was good), we would invariably have one of the pools to ourselves. Although not open when we were there (a bit disappointing as I’d been looking forward to this) was another separate area with a choice of natural sunken mineral pools). Not sure if this was closed from Covid times, or under refurbishment. The hotel itself was so spacious - lots of outside space which really went well with the desert/mountain environs.

In terms of service and quality of the guides, they were all excellent. Each activity (other than the on-site astronomy) you’d be taken in one of the hotel’s minibuses with both a driver and guide. This worked well on some of the tours where you might be dropped off in one area, have a short walk with the guide through a valley, or up a mountain to see the rock art, to then be met with the minibus in a different area. This was particularly welcome on what was probably our most energetic activity (rock art) when after clambering down the other side of a mountain we were met with the option of a cold Sol beer at the bottom.

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Highlights of our stay

From the onset of booking and the transport arrangements etc. in advance of our stay (there was an online check-in option which I liked), this was all organised so well by the centralised Nayara team.

• Great in-suite personalised welcome, with a chilled bottle of sparkling wine on ice and a cloche containing a selection of delicious chocolates and sweet treats mixed with forest fruits and dulce de leche.

• Also a great idea, with us arriving late evening, to have already reserved us a place on a tour the next morning (with a very respectable 9am start) to visit the salt flats (and flamingoes).

• The location - around the hotel itself the terracotta hued mountains were stunning (and visible from both terraces within our suite), as was every location we went to on the various half or full day experiences. While we thought that the landscapes might all be similar, they were anything but. From mineral mountains and the lunar landscape to higher up lakes and snow-capped mountains, from grasslands and sand dunes to the geysers and wildlife, each new experience was just exceptional.

• Other than the quirks with the vegetarian options, the food (and service) in the main restaurant was great, as was the food quality at the pool bar. Everything was beautifully presented and they had the best G&T’s served in huge balloon glasses with a very, very generous measure of Tanqueray, a favourite of mine.

Areas for Improvement

A bit more attention to dietary requirements - but wasn’t the end of the world seeing bacon on my soup nor being given a cheese and ham roll for our return airport transfer.

• Accepting mail - I’ve kept up a routine on my travels across 30+ years of sending myself a postcard from anywhere we’ve visited. It was a bit disappointing on leaving, when asking reception to post for me one postcard which had already been stamped (we sought out a post office in Puerto Natales when in Patagonia and bought enough for the whole trip) to be told that ‘they don’t send postcards’. I’m sure any hotel, regardless of how electronic now things are, must still receive and send some mail.

• We had been so looking forward to the nighttime astronomy experience (just behind the hotel itself we knew there was an observatory style circular platform with telescope and eight swivel chair/beds) after having this explained by previous guests we had met in Patagonia. We were next going to the Nayara Alto Atacama and they had just come from there. They said the astronomy night was their highlight. Disappointingly, even though we’d booked it on the first day thinking there would be the maximum of 8 (as guidance given for any tour) in fact they had upped this way more because the hotel was full. I’d much rather have gone on another night without excess guests, and perhaps it would be an idea to nominate one of the twice nightly tours as either Spanish or English focus, rather than combining this.

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Would I stay here again?

I would highly recommend this to anyone, it was a great option for the Atacama Desert and nothing would prevent me from wanting to return. However, as in many locations, once you have visited a resort and had many of the experiences they can offer, if I was heading back to Atacama I think I would choose a different property, for no negative reason whatsoever other than to try something new.

The incredible lunar like landscape around Nayara Alto Atacama Chile

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