The best hotels in Chilean Patagonia & the Atacama

Private transfer and accommodation for two nights at a unique hotel. The Singular Santiago offers an ideal location in the heart of Santiago, in the bohemian district of Lastarria, home to many artists and designers. The building combines the Chilean style of the early 20th century with French neoclassical influences. Inside, the rooms blend modern comfort with classic style, with a touch of character that exudes the charm of the past. On the ninth floor, the roof-top bar, with a large terrace and swimming pool, offers stunning views of the city.
Take a private tour of Santiago with a guide. The city has quite modern tones with its classical and Gothic architecture and hints of Art Nouveau; past earthquakes have spared few colonial buildings. Take a stroll on the delightful Santa Lucia Hill or in the Parque Quinta Normal, visit the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art and La Moneda, the presidential palace, Plaza de la Ciudadania... Do a tour of the pisco bars. Also on the agenda, a visit to Matetic Vineyards. The tour begins with the wine cellar, with an explanation of the secrets of winemaking and organic farming, followed of course by a tasting.

Transfer to the airport and flight to Calama, then drive to San Pedro de Atacama. A four-night stay at the Awasi Hotel, a unique address in Chile, consisting of small casitas perfectly integrated into the local style. The Awasi showcases special natural landscapes and the unique experience of the desert in a spirit of outdoor adventure. The Atacama is a land of desert and oasis marked by the traces of pre-Columbian Andean civilisations. You will pass archaeological sites, terraced cultures, churches and ancestral villages. This wealth of cultures is complemented by the beauty of the volcanoes, salt flats and high altitude lagoons. Every day, the hotel offers different ways of seeing the area: hiking, mountain biking or 4x4 depending on the weather conditions, individual preferences and the difficulty of the terrain. Each room has its own guide and car for total and exclusive exploration.

The Atacama Desert is one of the driest deserts in the world. Thanks to the dry air, the skies are exceptionally clear. San Pedro is an oasis. The church, made of adobe brick, is one of the oldest in the country (17th century). During these three days, we will visit the Museo Arqueologico R.P. Gustavo Le Paige, which documents in detail the ingenious civilisation of the Atacama Indians. Then visit the pre-Columbian sites of Quitor and Tulor too. It would also be a great idea to explore the salt flat lagoons, which harbour large colonies of flamingos. Early in the morning, the geothermal site of El Tatio, with its steam columns, is an impressive site.

Return flight to Santiago at the end of the day and a stay in the same hotel as on arrival.

Another domestic flight to Punta Arenas, transfer to the gates of Torres del Paine Park and a four-night stay at the Awasi Patagonia. Inspired by historic Patagonian huts, it features 14 contemporary lodges dotted at the gates of Torres del Paine Park, within a private reserve extending to 11,000 acres. Here again, the hotel blends into the landscape, with the Atacama Desert replaced by forest and the endless plains of Patagonia. A natural retreat where the puma is a protected species, combined with the charm and luxury of a Relais & Chateaux listed establishment.

The Torres del Paine National Park is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Stunning landscapes and a variety of environments are the hallmarks of the southern provinces of Magallanes and Ultima Esperanza. The National Geographic ranked the park as the world's fifth most beautiful place. Highlights include Lake Pehoe and Lake Grey at Salto Grande, the waterfall of the Paine River between Lake Nordenskjold and Lake Pehoe, and the Torres, the three granite peaks (8,500, 9,200 and 9,400ft) that gave the park its name.

Transfer to Punta Arenas airport and flight to Santiago. Another transfer to Valparaiso and a two-night stay in a little gem in town: the Casa Higueras. An ancient Hispanic mansion, overlooking the ocean, converted into a charming hotel. Like the mansion, the area is dotted with the fine houses of wealthy merchants, from the time when the Strait of Magellan was a necessary passage for sailing from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Here, among the cascading gardens and the pool overlooking the sea, there is a certain feel of the Mediterranean. And when it comes to other delights, the restaurant offers sumptuous dishes fresh from the ocean.

Private tour of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso, with guide. First off: Vina del Mar, a famous seaside resort with a contemporary feel. Visit Avenue de la Libertad, take the coastal road up to Renaca, Avenue San Martin, the Casino and Flower Clock. Continue with the visit to Valparaiso. The great Chilean port has been a legendary destination since the great days of sailing ships. Valpo is one of those places people tend not to know the exact location of (about a hundred miles from Santiago) because it is so universal. The flat part (El Plan) has a regular urban layout and a rich administrative and commercial architecture (19th-early 20th century); on the slopes of the hills (Cerros) which form a beautiful natural amphitheatre, the small colorful dwellings covered in corrugated iron seem to be stacked on top of each other. There is a certain picturesque chaos to their erratic layout along steep alleyways... Go up into the hills taking the historic lifts, the funiculars, the first of which was built in 1883 in Cerro Concepcion.