Itineraries include the Quebrada del Diablo, a magnificent ravine with a path that winds downhill between towering rock faces; the cornisas, or ledges, of the Salt Mountain range; or, for those who are fit and fully acclimatised, the slopes of the nearby volcanoes. A single-storey structure has been designed to blend into the surroundings, with bedrooms built around three spacious courtyards.The concept is that visitors can have the opportunity to explore their surroundings, to make discoveries about the landscape without putting too much importance on the final destination, and to follow in the footsteps of the great explorers, knowing that there will be a hot shower, a decent meal and a comfortable bed at the end of it.Each evening, in the conviviality of the bar, the next day’s expeditions are discussed; guided hikes, mountain bike rides and excursions on horseback are on offer. To describe Explora as a hotel would be missing the point: the manager aims to provide a “five-star experience” rather than five-star luxury, although the accommodation is both luxurious and relaxing. But making this possible is one of the main intentions at Explora, on the edge of San Pedro and the smartest place in the area. Water bubbles at a temperature well below boiling point at sea level, and in the early morning, before the sun warms the air around them, fumaroles, or clouds of steam, are visible above the water holes.Most trippers look at the geysers and get back into their 4×4s for the return trip to San Pedro. Hardier explorers can experience something of the wildness of the desert on a challenging walk across scrubland, up and down steep gorges, and through a lush river valley to the hot springs of Puritama, some three hours away.Experiencing lo remoto – remoteness, and all that that implies – is not always easy for visitors in an area where weather conditions can be harsh or unpredictable and maps almost non-existent.

Equally visited are the geysers of El Tatio, the highest geo-thermal field in the world at more than 12,000 feet above sea level. There is no shortage of places to discover, and plenty of 4×4s and their drivers waiting in San Pedro to take visitors to see them.One of the most popular expeditions is to the Valley of the Moon, a hauntingly barren expanse of desert where the sunset can be spectacular. While the volcanoes act as compass points, there are few landmarks, almost no paths, and the light can make distances deceptive, to the point that no serious 21st-century explorer would venture out alone without GPS navigation. Along the single-storey street, caf? shops and tour operators who do a flourishing trade in bicycle hire and excursions into the desert.Although San Pedro is a magnet for independent travellers, exploring the countryside around is difficult to do alone. Village residents congregate in the square, sitting on benches or standing around chatting to their friends.The tourists are more likely to be found along the main street, Caracoles, meaning “snails” – possibly a reference to the pace of life here. The local bank is a van, complete with ATM machine, which is permanently parked opposite the church’s main gate.

These days, San Pedro has nearly 5,000 inhabitants, according to the welcome sign at the entrance to the village, but their numbers are swelled by the visitors who use it as a base for exploring the desert.At the centre of the village is the main square, a leafy plaza built in the Spanish colonial style, around which all the important buildings are clustered: the priest’s house, the municipal headquarters, and an attractive white-washed church. The area has been inhabited for 12,000 years; despite incursions from the Tiwanaku people from Bolivia, the Incas from Peru and the Spanish conquistadores, the Atacamanian people have managed to retain much of their indigenous culture. Even the guanacos – llama-like animals that inhabit this part of the landscape – are brown, but they are a sign at least that there is life in the desert.San Pedro itself is a colourful place, an oasis of white adobe houses that has grown up at the northern end of the salt flats. Makeshift shrines have been constructed from the dark rocks, the words “Jesus” and “Dios” picked out in white pebbles that must have been imported for the purpose. A road has been gouged through the desert to link the two towns, across a landscape painted entirely in shades of brown. The endless flat terrain is punctuated by clumps of low-growing shrubs.

But the centre of the region is San Pedro de Atacama, some 60 miles to the south-east, an hour’s drive in a hotel minivan or on one of the frequent local bus services. In the centre of the region is the Salar de Atacama, an extensive salt flat fringed by mountains of salt.The gateway to the Atacama is the town of Calama, a two-and-a half hour flight from Santiago. Although they erupt infrequently, they belch out a stream of smoke as a warning to climbers who get too close. There are five active volcanoes in the area, too, including Lascar and Putana, both more than 17,000 feet above sea-level. It stretches down for nearly 600 miles from Chile’s northern frontier, and extends eastward as far as the Argentine border. The snow-covered volcanic peaks of the Andes provide orientation: Toco, Juriques, and the flat-topped Licancabur, a sacred mountain which the Atacamanian people used to climb, offering sacrifices when they reached the summit. Crystals of salt and gypsum sparkle in the sun, and patches of red in the soil indicate iron deposits.