Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a group of friends crossed vast sand dunes, passed lakes dappled with flamingos and walked atop a sea of salt, hard enough to bear the tread of foot.

 

As they wandered on, growing weary, each one made a wish.

“I wish I could find an oasis in this desert, somewhere to shelter, free from the troubles of this world,” said one.

“I wish I had an enormous bed to curl up in and rest my weary limbs,” said another, “a room like no other, a room worthy of the homes lived in by the ancient people of this land.”

“I wish I could leave behind all clocks, alarms and schedules, to free myself from the shackles of daily life,” said the third.

“I wish to share this experience only with those I love best,” said the last.

And so, as the stars flickered to light in the clear black sky, the friends made a pact to create a lodge in the driest desert on earth.

They came across an oasis where sheep grazed under an ancient Algarrobo tree. “This”, they said, “is the place”. They set to work gathering river stones, mixing earth-red clay for adobe walls and weaving thatched roofs to sit atop, like straw hats.

This is the story of how, ten years ago, Awasi Atacama was born. As we mark a decade, we look back upon our humble origins and marvel at the ground we have covered, the lessons we have learnt and the wonderful people we have met.

From a dream woven by a group of friends, to a Relais & Chateaux lodge which 15,000 guests have called home for a short while.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our staff, the Atacama Community, our guests who arrive as strangers and leave as friends, and the travel trade for their continued support over the years.

Thank you for believing in our story.

The Awasi Team