Rooted in the spirit of the Atacama, healing spa rituals at this newly refurbished luxury lodge offer restorative moments of calm and renewal after days spent exploring the altiplano.
With its vast salt flats and cinematic tableau of stratovolcanoes, the Atacama Desert invites awe—and nowhere is its grandeur more strikingly framed than Tierra Atacama. The newest addition to the Baillie Lodges’ portfolio recently emerged from a $20 million renovation, now drawing discerning adventure travelers to northern Chile. Built on the site of a former cattle corral, the 32-room showstopper rewards with Licancabur Volcano views that wowed from arrival in the lobby, during quiet moments beside the pampas grass-framed infinity pool to sunrises from bed. Rooms, suites, and apartments were accessed by following a travertine pathway that wound through gardens landscaped to evoke a nearby desert oasis.
A hanging fireplace anchored the living area in my impeccably styled suite, while the private terrace revealed a plunge pool and its spacious bathroom, a deep soaking tub, and a discreet open-air rain shower. Elements of storytelling and Atacama culture were woven throughout—from original artworks to textiles and rugs made with alpaca and llama wool. Nightly turndowns also came with thoughtful touches: locally made keepsakes, including a pair of hand-knitted house socks.
Relaxation Room at Uma Spa
At Uma Spa, rituals deepen your connection to the land. Named after the Aymara word for “water,” Uma honors this sacred element — a vital offering in the world’s driest desert. My session began with a guided meditation facing the volcano. “Here, we give thanks to the sky, the land, and the water,” my therapist whispered, “as a gesture of gratitude while grounding and letting go.” Therapies incorporate local salt and volcanic mud alongside native botanicals, including chañar, known to calm sensitive skin, and rica-rica, a fragrant herb long used in traditional healing. Treatment names reflect Indigenous roots: deep-tissue massage, Ckapin – Aymara for “energy” – is designed to relieve altitude fatigue and soothe tired muscles. After a three-hour horseback ride through Death Valley, a guided excursion highlight where selenite crystals shimmered in the sand, I was grateful for my time at the spa.
Poniente Room – Tierra Atacama
Although perhaps the most wondrous moment came after dark: an evening of stargazing with local astronomers Atacama Night Sky. Our group took turns peering through their high-powered telescope at constellations in the southern sky, like the Jewel Box, a brilliant star cluster 6,440 light-years away that sparked awe at the universe and its vastness. Meals were a sensory celebration as well. Executive Chef Andrés Donoso Cancino’s three-course menus featured local produce and fresh seafood paired with excellent Chilean wines and Andean-inspired cocktails. On Sunday, we gathered for Fire Night, when his team prepared meats on an open grill.
Tierra Atacama might dazzle with design and adventure, but the quiet rituals of reverence for the land will linger long after you leave. On my last morning, I sat in meditative silence among the trees during a guided nature bathing experience before sharing a tea made from coca leaves and delicate Toconao roses. Passed from hand to hand, we poured a final cup onto the ground in a Pago a la Tierra—a symbolic and fitting thank-you to Pachamama or Mother Earth.
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