Back to Chile: February 17 to February 20

Back to Atacama for a little rest and more hiking

After the intensity of our last day in Bolivia, we were ready for something different for our final few days in the region. Instead of returning to Explora Atacama, we decided to try one of its competitors: Tierra Atacama, part of the Baillie Lodges collection that we had enjoyed in Australia.

The concept is similar to Explora — all-inclusive with guided excursions — but Tierra aims for a slightly more upscale, boutique feel. 

We arrived late on our first day thanks to the mudslide delays coming out of Bolivia, tired and a little frazzled. Fortunately, Tierra delivered exactly what we needed: a calm atmosphere, a delicious dinner, and a very comfortable room. The heated floors combined with air conditioning created the perfect sleeping environment — and being at a lower elevation than we had been in Bolivia probably helped too. 

View of the Licancabur volcano from dinner

Our favorite part of the lodge was the exterior grounds- it was beautifully landscaped including fig trees and pomegranate trees just outside our room. The figs were ripe and we often snacked on those on our way in and out. 

Pomegranate and fig trees (and a bird)

Tierra had initially signed us up for an excursion that sounded like it would mostly involve driving, and we quickly realized what we truly needed was a quiet resort day instead. It felt surprisingly luxurious to slow down — reading, enjoying the property, and letting our bodies recover.

We also met with the excursion leader, and planned something better suited to our preferences: a full-day hike up Toco Volcano and a shorter hike through Devil’s Canyon before our departure. Toco volcano was one of the highlights of the trip. 

Toco Volcano hike- a true highpoint 

The Toco Volcano hike turned out to be one of the highlights of the entire trip. The climb was challenging, especially at altitude, but the views were extraordinary. At the peak we were at 18,385ft - our highest climb ever.

From the top we could see back into Bolivia, including the white lake we had visited earlier in the journey — a full-circle moment that made the effort feel especially meaningful.

Almost to the top- view into Bolivia of the white lake - our first stop from our Bolivian tour

View from the top

A Final Walk Through Devil’s Canyon

Our last excursion, Devil’s Canyon, was shorter but still memorable — about three miles over two hours in warm sunshine. We were joined by a guide and another couple, and unlike the more private trails at Explora, this one had plenty of other hikers and bikers along the way a feature, making the Explora brand more preferable for us.

Even so, the landscapes were beautiful: layered rock formations, sweeping desert views, and distant volcanos.

After the hike, we changed, grabbed a nice lunch and headed to the airport. While we definitely enjoyed the upscale room with the heated floors, in the end we were not sure that the additional luxury of Tierra was added value over the more exclusive hiking that Explora provided. We interested in exploring Awasi next.