Hostal Tambo Norte - Hostel

Great host, mediocre facilities

The host, who is originally from Bolivia, was super nice and her Spanish was very clear, so I was able to understand everything she said, unlike most Chileans who speak lightning fast and have arguably the worst Spanish in Latin America. She was also very attentive, accommodating, and caring. She waited outside with me at 7:30am in the morning for a tour bus to come pick me up, because I wasn't sure if they were going to come. She's very sweet. Probably the best part of this hostel/hostal. Another plus was that the beds were comfortable and the bathroom was clean and they always had hot water. In San Pedro you can't always expect this.

I know it's San Pedro, and installations are lacking, but there was no heat in the hostal. So beware if you come in the winter. At night and in the morning it gets below zero degrees celsius. In bed I was fine because I had enough covers and she even offered extra blankets, but walking around the hostal at night and in the morning is freezing. Another downside is that you can't pay with credit card. ONLY CASH. They also don't give you a VAT refund. I already knew this beforehand. The walls are also paper thin so you hear everything outside in the shared areas and hear people in the other rooms. Luckily I always travel with earplugs so this wasn't a huge deal for me. In the end, San Pedro is really expensive and very rustic. Don't expect the comforts that you have at home in North America, Europe, and NE Asia. All in all, the landscape is amazing and it's worth spending the cash to see all the beauty and wonders that Atacama has to offer.