CHILE Awasi, Organic Retreat By Jenny Perez Photos courtesy Awasi Summer in the city? I think not. With all the negative news stories broadcasted on a daily basis, a refreshing retreat to the middle of nowhere can sound more appealing by the minute. After all, everyone deserves a break from it all sometimes, right? Chile, a country famous for it’s natural beauty and earthy splendor, may not exactly be the final frontier, but the Awasi resort, the region’s latest and one of the few boutique hotels located in San Pedro de Atacama in one of the many oases in the Atacaman desert, is exotic and remote enough to feel like a week on another planet. After landing in Santiago and taking a quick plane ride into the city of Calama, the short yet scenic drive into San Pedro de Atacama windslong and narrow into a sea of sand, surrounded by an eye-opening shock of bright blue sky.

The view from Machu Picchu in Peru

Upon drawing closer to the city, the stark profundity of the desert is quickly replaced by azure water-lagoons and lakes the size of small seas. After miles and miles of such postcard perfect enchantment, it’s not unexpected to
learn that for thousands of years, the remote village of San Pedro, as the natives refer to it (north of Santiago, the nation’s capital) has served as an oasis in which passing tourists and curious marauders have stopped by for
necessities like water, food and shelter as well as an inspirational breather from their arduous voyages. Along this geographic zone also rise some of the highest volcanoes of the infamous Los Andes Cordillera, the highest mountain ranges outside of Asia.

The small hotel, its name meaning home in Atacameño, was built entirely with local natural resources like adobe, stone and wood.

Formerly the center of Atacaman Culture, San Pedro’s population now stands at approximately 2,500 people, a much more quaint demographic compared to its ancient glory. The town, however, still holds prominence and a sense of mystery because of its extreme geographic position and because it is considered by many to be the archeological capital of Chile. It features a significant archeological museum, the R. P. Gustavo Le Paige Archaeological Museum, with a large collection of relics and artifacts from the historic region. Native ruins nearby, like the remains of the Tulor settlement dating back to 800 BC, are now attracting increasing numbers of tourists interested in learning about pre-Columbian and Incan cultures, as well as those with a desire in taking advantage of the breathtaking natural beauty and resources with activities including sand boarding and
stargazing, with views of the stars that are unrivaled across the continent. For a true-blue city girl like me, the trek into this desert is an eyeopening glimpse at the remarkable intensity of Mother Nature. Maybe even an “Aha” moment (Oprah would be proud). Perhaps, it was a sentiment like this that ultimately became the
draw to build a “paradise oasis, inside a paradise oasis,” as one returning guest of the Awasi resort so eloquently described the boutique hotel to me before I arrived.

The 2009 winner of the first annual Tablet Hotels Selection Award recognizing select excellence in service, accommodations and customer satisfaction, the Awasi resort is a testament to rustic charm. It’s rustic enough to feel an intimate connection with nature but charming enough to feel more luxurious and less like you’re “roughing it.” The resort’s owners, architect Francisco Rencoret and his wife, decorator Paula Dominguez, also winners of the 2008 Latin American Travel Association’s Best Boutique Hotel Award, aimed to create a spiritually calming sanctuary where the natural environment blends with the simple architecture producing an
organic “noninvasive infrastructure.” The small hotel, its name meaning home in Atacameño, was built entirely with local natural resources like adobe, stone and wood. While being environmentally sound (and “green” enough to please even a die-hard environmental activist), Awasi manages to present nature at it’s best, without compromising the personal comfort of its inhabitants. The resort consists of only 8 rooms to occupy, all with elements remaining true to the region’s indigenous history. To say that the concept behind Awasi is detail oriented is an understatement of grand proportion. The smooth bed sheets and canvas fabrics of the furniture are all woven and hand dyed locally, while the marble of the impressive bathrooms was mined within the city. The rooms have a folksy but warm appeal, also including fragrant bath herbs that were grown and plucked directly from the soil of the surrounding desert and sunlit patios for reading or sunbathing, as in literally bathing in the sun in the outdoor shower. Guests can even select from a “pillow menu” the style of pillow they would like to lay their heads on at night. I marveled at the building’s thatched roofs (thatched from straw made from the San Pedro River, naturally). I immediatelyrevert to my city-savvy, thinking, “OMG! What if it rains?” and completely forgetting that “Duh. I’m in the desert!” The roofs provide warmth that even in the heat of the morning, is just the right temperature. In the evening, it serves as a portal to a sublime view of the star-filled
Atacaman sky, with colors ranging from deep plum and violet to charcoal and onyx.

Guests can even select from a “pillow menu” the style of pillow they would like to lay their heads on at night

The morning breaks with it a slew of activities. For a remote, spiritual getaway, the resort offers enough outdoor excursions to make any adventurous traveler giddy with excitement. Every room comes with the ultimate amenity in a place like this: a tour guide and driver equipped and prepared to venture out with the guests for a private tour including a schedule of activities designed by each guest according to their physical constitutions and interests. I enthusiastically yet, I must admit, a little nervously, ask to be taken to one of the region’s
most common attractions, the lagoons of the Salar. What I find is a sight that even the wildest and most inventive imagination cannot fully begin to dream up.

The rolling hills of sand that turn to dunes, pale pink in the light of the sun, blend with the equally bright color scheme of the flock of flamingo’s encircled around the Chaxas Lagoon, one of the many vast and bright turquoise
masses of water that feel as bewitching as they look (other choices include the Miscanti and the Miñiques lagoons, stunning at 4,200 meters high with a range of mountains surrounding them.) The Salar region is at 2,500 meters of altitude, a height that most people used to living on sea level can become accustomed to with ease.
The scope and magnitude of the surrounding nature astounds the senses. Grazing llamas and the lush vegetation of the oasis add to the magical effect of this beguiling destination. Guests of Awasi can also opt for more rugged
activity such as cycling or riding across the Salar and other desert regions. For those with a bolder approach, daily hikes and climbs on the Laksar or the Lincancabur volcanoes are also available. At nearly 6,000 meters, this non-active ancient crater of the Lincancabur forms one of the planets highest lakes, directly situated on a primitive Inca ceremonial location. Other choices for excursions include a drive to the fierce El Tatio geyser field where an impressive one-hundred jets of gushing white water surge through the ground or a ride down south to the northern Argentine border where the scenic grandeur of the Jama pass enthralls with its earthly resplendence.

Adventures in the open fields are not the only option. Guests can also choose to stay sitting pretty, relaxing and enjoying the view at the resort itself, mingling with other guests by the courtyard pool, all while getting golden with help from the desert sun. Awasi also has a full poolside bar made from stones from local rivers and plush patio sofas where guests can discuss everything from the previous day’s excursions, to where their next hiatus from their busy everyday lives will take them. Tour guides can also take you to nearby villages and into the heart of San Pedro, where marketplaces and stands featuring art relics run rich with culture and historical relevance.

Awasi features staff with a reputation for going out of their way to make sure that everyone is fully content and extending outstanding personal service to see to it that you are. This extreme accommodation is ever most present at meal times, where high-end chefs prepare beautifully presented gourmet meals from a daily changing menu featuring a superb wine list. Using only native ingredients that have been part of the diet of locals for centuries, standout dinner entrées include a fresh quinoa and avocado dish and beef carpaccio with pineapple chutney, grilled salmon and a salad of ripe olives, succulent tomatoes and rich goat cheese, along with purple potatoes are also featured dishes. Early risers can bask in fresh fruit juice and inviting specialty oven-baked
bread, as well as individually prepared omelets with delicious vegetables that will appease any palette.

While Awasi is a paradise at any time of the year, the recommended season to be fully able to revel in the natural resources and striking allure of the desert is during the South American spring time (September to December). Rates vary according to daily “programs” and the type of room you are staying in. A two-day stint at Awasi in a standard suite will run you at approximately $1,280 (rates include hotel accommodations, meals and excursions) while the same program in a premium suite can cost up to $1,450. To be able to really experience the wonder of the vast and commanding Atacaman desert, a longer stay of five nights is recommended. While such
an expedition can cost up to $3,400, the price tag is unbelievably reasonable considering the incredible life experience that is the ultimate reward of this fascinating voyage.

When it comes time to pack up and head home, a bit of wistfulness can start to set in. It’s not everyday that one gets to spend time soaking in a dry-salt lake in the middle of the desert, while watching birds soaring across the sapphire sky and sheep being herded through the fields. All this eye candy seems to be a visual oxymoron.
Such is this spellbinding place and the Awasi resort, leaves guests with the sense that they are at their home away from home. A home where one can let go of the stresses they left behind and focus on the exquisiteness of our
planet. 2009 should be a good year for Awasi. Its perfect blend of high-end luxury service and the humble charm of the environmentally sound hotel structure make for a vacation full of indulgence, without the guilt.