Experience Your Own Path Private Excursions

Only 45 minutes away from the lodge, Chaxa Lagoon reveals expansive views across the Atacama Basin, characterised by crystalline salt flats and a rich diversity of birdlife, including three species of flamingo.

The route passes several highlights of the region, including Piedra de la Coca, while offering open views of the Andean peaks to the east. The landscape gradually opens into a secluded section of the Río Salado canyon, where shallow waters invite a walk along the riverbed. Here, small high-altitude wetlands create a natural habitat for birdlife, adding quiet moments of discovery along the way.

Rainbow Valley is a paradise for geology lovers, it stands out for its characteristic landscapes of the Domeyko mountain range, unique colours and a great variety of activity options, including hiking and viewing petroglyphs of archeological and historical significance.

Situated at over 4,000 metres, these lagoons are known for their striking landscapes, surrounded by volcanoes and home to species such as vicuñas and horned taguas. Miñiques, the smaller lagoon, sits beneath the Miñiques volcano and is habitat to a rich variety of species.

The ascent of Láscar Volcano offers one of the most demanding experiences in the region, combining altitude, distance, and changing conditions. The route passes through high-altitude landscapes towards the summit, where proximity to the active crater reveals visible sulphur vents and a constantly shifting environment. Along the way, views extend across the surrounding desert and volcanic terrain.

Cerro Toco is considered an accessible ascent for those with previous mountaineering experience, with a clearly defined route and expansive views from the summit. The starting point is a 1h30 drive from the lodge.

Near the border with Argentina and a 2-hour drive from the lodge, the Aguas Calientes salt flats unfold across a vast high-altitude landscape, surrounded by volcanoes and marked by striking reddish waters. The Salar de Aguas Calientes offers expansive views and a sense of scale unique to this remote part of the Altiplano, where the terrain shifts between salt, rock, and sky.

At the beginning of the Altiplano there are some villages that still keep to the thousand-year old traditions of the Lickan Antay culture, such as Caspana and Chiu-Chiu. Caspana is located at almost 4,000 meters altitude and preserves one of the oldest cultivation systems in the region, within a privileged landscape that combines desert, oasis and the altiplano. Chiu-Chiu was regarded as the capital of Atacama la Baja, or Lower Atacama, counterpart to the power centered in San Pedro, and boasts the oldest church in Chile, the San Francisco de Chiu-Chiu Church.

Enjoy the calm of the oasis as the sun rises over the Andes Mountains and the iconic Licancabur Volcano. The vibrant colors of dawn and the peaceful atmosphere create a perfect setting to share breakfast in the company of your private guide and the surrounding nature.

Set over 4,300 metres above sea level, El Tatio geothermal field features steaming fumaroles, bubbling thermal springs and high-altitude geysers framed by Andean peaks and volcanic terrain.

San Pedro de Atacama offers some of the most favourable stargazing conditions on Earth. The stargazing exploration provides a guided view of the night sky, observed with the naked eye and through powerful telescopes, while exploring constellations and Andean cosmology.

Rainbow Valley is a paradise for geology lovers, it stands out for its characteristic landscapes of the Domeyko mountain range, unique colours and a great variety of activity options, including hiking and viewing petroglyphs of archeological and historical significance.

“Ayllus” (“families” in Quechua, the language of the Incas) are the traditional forms of community in the Andes, and were at the heart of the Inca Empire´s economic prosperity. Visit the cultivated pastures and to observe the thousand-year old route of irrigation canals which are representative of the agrarian way of life of the ethnic Lickan Antay, which has remained relatively intact for millennia.

The Atacama Salt Flat is the third largest in the world. At its centre, highly saline lagoons attract unique bird species and support vegetation adapted to extreme conditions. Cejar Lagoon offers the possibility of floating in its waters, providing an experience similar to the Dead Sea.

In the north side of the town, following the course of the San Pedro river, you come to the Catarpe sector. Here officials of the Tawantinsuyu (Inca kingdom) were assigned to govern the Lickan Antay, collecting taxes and recruiting people to form armies for the Inca. The remains of the Kallanka (Inca center) can still be seen, surrounded by the majestic Cordillera de la Sal and the salty waters of the river.

Between Moon Valley and the Cordillera de la Sal lies a landscape shaped by time, where dunes meet salt-covered ridges and wind-carved formations. Erosion over thousands of years has created a terrain often compared to the surface of Mars, defined by its dryness, intensity, and vast open views. Walking through the area reveals shifting perspectives of the Andes and surrounding volcanoes along the horizon.

Between the dryness of the salt flats and the impressive Puna are the intermediate ravines. That of the Vilama river is considered among the most beautiful and interesting, where the Cardón or Pasakana cactus grow.

San Pedro de Atacama is known as the archaeological capital of Chile. The town has been permanently inhabited for at least 2,500 years. On this excursion you will visit the major archaeological sites of the settlement: the Pukará de Quitor; a pre-Columbian fort built with adobe and white volcanic rock, the village of Tulor; which has an enigmatic history with it’s reflection on architectural design, as well as the town square and the church which was built during the Spanish colonial period and is the second oldest church in Chile.