Hotel Kimal

Hotel Kimal, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

The Kimal is located just off the main street, Caracoles, but nevertheless feels like an oasis thanks to its pretty maze of courtyards planted with flowers and shrubs and its spacious, cool interior.

The hotel has just 19 rooms and all are examples of typical construction, built out of local wood and mud and with attractive features such as lattice straw ceilings and bamboo pillars. Some rooms have their own terrace giving onto an inner courtyard and there's an outdoor area with swimming pool and bar.

Although it has a good restaurant, a great advantage of the hotel's central location is that there are plenty of choices for eating out. Next door, Restaurant Paacha is a favourite with the San Pedro locals due to its hearty and delicious food and reasonable prices, as well as its live music and entertainment evenings.

Our rating: Medium