Explora Atacama

This is my third visit to Explora Atacama and it keeps getting better—the food was great, our guide Louife was amazing.

Atacama is one of the most beautiful places in the world and the Explora experience just makes it even better. All the explorations we did were really nice, from trekking to biking, and Louife as our guide made every moment special with her knowledge and enthusiasm. The food quality has consistently impressed me across all three visits. I strongly recommend this place to anyone wanting to experience the Atacama properly.

Maureen the manager makes a genuine effort to get to know you and what you want from your vacation—by day two everyone knows your name.

You pay a lot upfront but get incredible value back with all food, drinks, and most importantly, amazing desert adventures included. The staff arranges everything to your preferences, and your exploration schedule is planned with your input on arrival night and can be modified anytime. What really impressed me was how personal the service became—Maureen and all the staff make such an effort to know you individually. The spa services aren't included but the massages are excellent. I'll definitely be back to this and other Explora properties.

I've stayed at other Explora properties and found the group excursions plus lower quality food put it a tier below competitors.

After experiencing Awasi Atacama in April, which was incredible, I have to say Explora falls short in comparison. The group excursion format at Explora doesn't give you the personalized attention you get elsewhere, and frankly the food quality just isn't up to the standard you'd expect. I've been to other Explora lodges and consistently found the dining to be the weak link. If you're choosing between options in Atacama, I'd look at Awasi or other properties that prioritize the luxury hospitality side alongside the adventure component.

I stayed at Explora Atacama for three nights and also visited Tierra to compare—the explorations and guides are genuinely the highlight of staying here.

What struck me most about Explora is that they're an expedition company first, not a luxury hotel trying to do tours. The guides have deep roots in the region and create these immersive experiences that go way beyond typical hotel excursions. I visited Tierra Atacama as well for comparison, and while Tierra had nicer rooms, Explora's focus on exploration really sets them apart. The rooms definitely need renovation—they're getting dated and worn compared to what you'd expect at this price point. But if you're here for the desert experience rather than luxury amenities, the trade-off makes sense.

Rooms are incredibly noisy—you hear plumbing from neighboring rooms, staff walkie-talkies, and arguments through thin walls.

I'm 6'2" and they don't have bikes that fit properly, which was frustrating for our cycling excursion. But the real issue is the noise—brick walls are useless when the plumbing is shared between rooms and creates loud sounds. We were woken up early by shower noise from next door, then couldn't nap because of maintenance equipment, staff radios outside our door, and even neighboring guests' conversations and arguments. There's a large gap under our door that lets in every hallway sound. The guides like Celeste are lovely, and dining staff are great, but the infrastructure really lets down the experience.

I paid a premium but there's no management presence, employees lack service skills, and our room had multiple malfunctions.

The Atacama desert is definitely a bucket list destination with breathtaking topography, but luxury isn't available here—and certainly not at Explora. We had non-working electrical outlets and switches, no functioning fan, and no maintenance staff who could make repairs. Food was mediocre at best with slow, unappealing service. The explorations were disorganized and didn't match what was advertised. Our vans were in disrepair with broken AC, which was a major issue, and drivers pushed the vehicles unsafely—you definitely need to wear seatbelts. The location is incredible, but be prepared for a far from luxury experience.

We stayed here as part of the Explora Travesía and it set the bar extremely high—everything felt intentional, from design to service.

The lodge is genuinely beautiful and peaceful, with an operation that runs like clockwork. Our guide Mattias and driver David were outstanding—friendly, knowledgeable, and you could tell they really cared about giving us a great experience. We did a mix of hikes and scenic excursions including the geyser area, wildlife viewing, and Valle de la Luna, and every single one felt essential. The staff at the lodge were excellent too—kind, responsive, and consistently on top of details. It's luxurious without being stuffy, adventurous without feeling exhausting.

The model here is brilliant—it's all about the excursions, and we could tailor each day to our different activity levels and interests perfectly.

What really worked for us was how flexible they made the experience for a family with very different fitness levels and interests. Previous 'nature' vacations had been challenging because of this, but Explora's approach let everyone participate at their own pace. The Atacama Desert itself was absolutely awe-inspiring, though I have to warn you—it's a tough environment. The heat, UV exposure, dust, dryness, and especially the altitude really take a toll on your body. You need to be prepared and drink constantly, but the experience is completely worth the physical challenge.

We had wonderful scenery and caring staff, but management showed zero care when our van went off-road and we nearly had to hitchhike back.

When I cut my head on an exploration, I was told hotel policy prevented them from providing basic first aid and I'd have to walk an hour to town for supplies. But the real issue came when our van was driven off the road at 4,200 meters, nearly rolling down a hill. We were stranded for 1.5 hours in dropping temperatures, and when help arrived, Explora sent recovery for the vehicle but ignored us as guests. There was no room for us in the rescue vehicle, and we were told to flag down strangers for a ride. A kind local gave us a lift, but it took three weeks and multiple emails before Explora finally contacted our rescuer to thank them.

Our private guide Robert was fantastic—he tailored everything to our pace and interests, from Moon Valley to challenging mountain biking.

We had four incredible days with Robert exploring the Atacama from London. Day one took us through Moon Valley with sand dunes and salt flats, day two was a wonderful hike to hot springs, day three we went up to the geysers and spotted flamingos, and day four was exhilarating mountain biking with hard single track and steep climbs. What really stood out was Robert's ability to customize the experience perfectly to our fitness level and interests. If you want a guide who can challenge you physically—whether fast hiking, tough trails, or hard cycling—he's absolutely your person. He balanced the athletic challenges beautifully with sharing his deep knowledge of the landscape.

Service here is completely erratic—from suggesting I buy water for the airport transfer to never delivering ordered items at meals.

My airport greeter suggested I buy water for the one-hour ride after what I've paid—really? The schedule is challenging with 7 AM departures but dinner served 8-10 PM, forcing you to sleep on a full stomach. I found the bed uncomfortable after six nights, giving me shoulder pain, and the walls are thin so you hear every conversation from neighboring rooms. Getting good information from guides is difficult—they praise every trip but don't understand your capabilities or interests. I learned days after arriving that stargazing needs advance booking, and I was given completely wrong equipment information for trips.

I chose Explora for solo travel because everything's included—and the hotel, location, food, and experience were all exceptional.

This is definitely not a luxury sit-by-the-pool experience—it's active luxury where you're up at 7 AM for tours and back by 4 PM, exhausted but fulfilled. Most nights all you can do is shower, eat dinner, and sleep to prepare for another early morning. I stayed four days and did eight tours including stargazing twice. The guides are incredibly knowledgeable and work with you to create your personal Atacama experience. The food focuses on local products and herbs—some culinary creations were more successful than others, but the effort was appreciated. I felt valued for my presence, not my money, which is exactly what I want from luxury service.