The horse and I were traversing a unique environment. The Atacama Desert, in northern Chile, is the world’s driest — some parts have never experienced a recorded rainfall — and it sits more than 10,000 feet above sea level.

This desert attracts tourists for its salt flats and their flamingos, a salt mountain range, saltwater pools, hot springs, geysers — and for stargazing in remarkably clear skies. The wildlife is nice, too.

Geysers in action, seen in the early-morning hours at Tatio Geysers, the central feature of a very popular excursion offered by most resorts and tour companies in San Pedro.

Two vicunas spotted roaming near the Tatio Geysers. The animals also successfully negotiated strolls among the active geysers, areas we humans could not be trusted to traverse.

Tourists — the more active kind — also come for cycling, trekking, mountain climbing as well as horseback riding.

My ride couldn’t be called overly active. It took me across the sands, up and down a couple of dunes, even across a river (very shallow) and up a tiny mountain (I could have walked it faster).

Rocky terrain rises dramatically before us, providing a modest sample of the scenery in the high-altitude Atacama Desert.

That was exciting enough for me, but, on the Atacama, serious riders have much more exotic options and could spend a lot of hours astride a horse.

Here is the deal:

In my capacity as a writer for a travel trade paper, I was a guest in April, along with other travel professionals, at Explora Atacama, an inclusive resort for active travelers who also like fine dining, nice wines and other comforts.

An outdoor dining option at Explora Atacama.

One of four swimming pools on the grounds at Explora Atacama.

The resort sits on 42 acres at the outskirts — but in walking distance of — the oasis town San Pedro de Atacama. It also is meant as a retreat, meaning no TV in rooms, and WiFi only in public areas.

Area stables offer horses for riding excursions, but Explora is unique in that it owns its own mounts, 24 of them. Its stables are in plain view. We had to drive past the horses to get to the property’s main building and the check-in desk. The animals are specially bred for easy handling and for life in the Atacama’s high altitude.

The easy-handling part is important for someone like me. I was told my horse, Salvador, is a top choice for the children who ride at Explora (I refuse to blush).

A couple of the Explora Atacama horses at ease after our morning riding excursion. Salvador is not in the photo. Sadly, I did not get a good shot of him.

However, Explora offers its guests a choice of 11 riding excursions, each limited to eight riders, and each designated as easy, moderate or expert, and all either a half-day or full-day outing. The most ambitious takes riders 10,170 feet above sea level in the Domeyko Mountains, passing an old mining settlement, providing views of ancient petroglyphs and entering an area famed for cave art.

Explora Atacama currently lists 44 excursions available to its guests. Those who live and breath horses can turn a stay into a riding vacation but it’s worth considering some of the numerous other choices.

Explora’s prices are inclusive and, in this case, that means all 44 activities are included in the rates, as are airport transfers from and to Calama, about an hour away; all meals and drinks, except for premium wines; use of swimming pools, saunas and Jacuzzis; plus guided stargazing using the property’s high-powered telescope. Massages are extra.

Public spaces, with wall maps of interest to the venturesome, inside the Explora Atacama.

A veranda wraps around the public spaces at the Explora Atacama.

Nevertheless, choosing Explora is one of the pricier ways to see the Atacama. Rates start at $2,125 per person, double, for the minimum three-night stay.

There are other options utilizing area travel companies that provide all sorts of tours including riding excursions. There also are several not-so-upscale hotels in San Pedro. I passed by the courtyards of a few in-town hotels but did not enter any.

I walked around San Pedro, which charms with its low-rise adobe buildings painted white, a historic church and the attractive goods offered in numerous souvenir shops.

San Pedro’s church as it appeared this year, after it was refurbished and restored to its original natural reddish brown adobe.

I had explored San Pedro in 2012 as well. Not much had changed, except the church, which was white five years ago. It has been refurbished and restored to look much as it had when built. Authentic is good. White makes better photos. Just my opinion.

San Pedro’s church as it appeared in 2012. The church was white but the sky was less bright or, put differently, more dramatic.

For more about Chile, we offer at BestTripChoices.com the following, under the headline: A long country https://besttripchoices.com/international-countries/chile/

This blog and photos are by Nadine Godwin, BestTripChoices.com editorial director and contributor to the trade newspaper, Travel Weekly. She also is the author of “Travia: The Ultimate Book of Travel Trivia.” An earlier version of this blog is found at https://writinghorseback.com.

The post Chile: Riding across a high-altitude desert appeared first on Best Trip Choices.

My press group saw a wide range of “wondersome” natural attractions as follows, salt flats and their flamingos, volcanoes and a salt mountain range, petroglyphs, saltwater pools (handy for a good float), hot springs, geysers and some incredible scenery.

The latter included a magical sunset seen from the Coyote lookout point above Moon Valley. Stargazing is another attraction, but the skies were cloudy at night when we visited.

I also spent an afternoon strolling in San Pedro de Atacama, the largest oasis with 6,000 residents. The altitude is a bigger number: 8,100 feet.

San Pedro is charming, with a large central square, the 18^th century adobe San Pedro Church and streets lined with low-rise, mostly white shops, restaurants and small hotels and hostels. I was struck by the well-designed signage on many establishments. San Pedro also is home to a noted archaeological museum.

The No. 1 Atacama experience (in my view) was seeing some of the 80 or so Tatio Geysers. At more than 14,100 feet above sea level, they are produced when snowmelt flowing underground confronts the hot magma of a volcanic zone, producing steam and a great pressure to escape.

The phenomenon is most impressive at sunrise when hot water hits very cold air, producing dramatically billowing steam.

Our August visit began with a bracing (23F) sunrise walk among the geysers in thin air. We stuck to marked paths (people have gotten too close with fatal results), observing the bubbling hot water at the base of geysers and, of course, the steam. Visitors also took dips in a hot springs on site, but not me!

The desert was a natural for my book, “Travia: The Ultimate Book of Travel Trivia,” because of its amazing characteristics. Some parts of the Atacama have never experienced a recorded rainfall. A key source of moisture is fog, which locals capture in special fog-catcher nets.

However, there are areas where heavy rains occur. Our guide referred to early 2012 flash floods as a “disaster” because they damaged the petroglyphs, for one thing.

The Atacama also is the world’s highest-altitude desert, averaging 13,000 feet, and it includes the world’s highest volcanoes. Given the altitude, this desert is the world’s coldest, too.

Moon Valley in the Atacama Desert, viewed at sunset from a popular lookout. Another group views the sunset from a lookout visible at far left; the scene indicates the sweeping grandeur of the site.

A cafe in the main square of San Pedro de Atacama.

Shops in San Pedro de Atacama.

Billowing steam rising to the height of a multistory building before sunrise at the Tatio geyser field.

Visitors seen exploring the Tatio geyser field on the Atacama Desert. The steam still rises to great heights, but the sun has begun to show itself.

Hot springs at the site of the Tatio Geysers.

For more about Chile, we offer at BestTripChoices.com the following, under the headline: A long country https://besttripchoices.com/international-countries/chile/

This blog and photos are by Nadine Godwin, BestTripChoices.com editorial director and contributor to the trade newspaper, Travel Weekly. She also is the author of “Travia: The Ultimate Book of Travel Trivia.”

The post Chile: Atacama, a desert with many faces appeared first on Best Trip Choices.