Casa Atacameña

My partner and myself are travelling through South America for two months at the moment. We spent four nights at Casa Atacamena and it is definitely a place I recommend. We booked a twin room (there seemed to be no double available at the time of booking) with shared bathroom, which is something I don't like very much especially after previous experiences in some hostels, but we had to keep an eye on the budget. The bathroom is outside from the main building, so you have to walk across the courtyard to get there, which is just about the only "inconvenience", but it was always clean. The room was basic and on the small side, which is not a problem as you end up being outside on excursions all the time so you basically just sleep there. Also, it was very clean - and cleaned on a daily basis. The owners leave breakfast for you outside your door every evening, which is great especially if you have an early start the following day. As for the location, they are just outside the centre of Atacama, which means about 10 minutes' walk - I personally find that is a bonus. The centre of Atacama is fairly small and quite crowded with tourists, so it was nice and peaceful there. The kindness of the owners made a great difference - when we were there Fabiola (the owner) was away but her mum and Fabien where there. It really felt like being with friends. Very nice atmosphere. Highly recommended.