Page 19 - Explore Magazine Winter 2018

hand to help you choose the right experience and make
the most of your time there. Excursions range from short 17
strolls to cycling, hiking, astrology, photography, yoga
and cultural experiences. Some of the excursions go to
high altitude, which requires you to be in Atacama for
two days beforehand to acclimatise. Or you might just
choose to stay at the hotel and enjoy a spa treatment:
the Alto Atacama Spa was recently named one of the ten
best spas in Latin America by Spa Finder. On my last day
I experienced a relaxing massage with aromatic scents
before being taken outside to soak in an outdoor hot pool
as I received an absolutely divine head massage. Bliss!
Along with visiting the scenic Valley of the Moon, watching
the sunset at the Salt Lake and stargazing with the
hotel’s resident astronomer, the highlight of my short
stay here was a hike in the Catarpe Valley, a pre-Hispanic
archaeological site on a hidden plateau. Most of the
guides at Alto Atacama are indigenous Chileans and their
personal stories give you an in-depth insight to desert life
as a local. Our hiking guide was a real character – so full of
enthusiasm for the region. In his excitement to tell a story
his arms waved around and he often used us as props
to demonstrate something like a volcano erupting while
speaking in heavily accented English at whirlwind speed.
Our afternoon hike took in dramatic sweeping vistas
with the Andes mountain range in the distance, hills in
hues of orange, gold and brown, formations created by
tectonic movements and green valleys with tiny farmlets
dotted along a trickling river. We walked along ancient
tracks and saw shelters used by ancient llama trade
caravans and rock walls covered with petroglyphs. The
silence and solitude of this place known as “the spirit of
the desert” were profoundly stirring. They say you should
visit Atacama to explore, feel, connect and revitalise: it
delivered all that, and more.

HELLOWORLD : EXPLORE : WINTER EDITION