Chilean Patagonia and its lodges
At the end of the earth the best houses stand where the landscape does the work.
At the end of the earth the best houses stand where the landscape does the work. Four houses, from the lodges at the foot of the Paine massif to a restored cold-storage plant on the fjord at Puerto Natales: on a private reserve at the edge of Torres del Paine, twelve villas each with its own guide and four-wheel drive; on the shore of Lago Sarmiento, a low curve of glass and raw wood that reads as a fissure in the ground; yards from the Salto Chico waterfall, a modernist lodge built for the views; and two hours south on the fjord at Puerto Bories, an old cold-storage plant remade into the region's most singular hotel. All four run all-inclusive, expeditions and transfers included. October to April is the season; the wind never stops.
Luxury hotels in Patagonia
4 hotels
The neighborhoods
Torres del Paine
The national park of the granite towers and the Paine massif, with the lodges at its eastern edge and by the Salto Chico. It takes in Lago Sarmiento, Lago Pehoé and the Grey glacier, the base of the towers hike and the W trek, guanacos and condors; the Salto Chico lies at its heart.
Puerto Natales & the Fjord
The gateway town on the fjord of Última Esperanza, two hours south of the park. From here the glacier boats leave for Balmaceda and Serrano; here too are the milodon cave, the old cold-storage plant at Puerto Bories and the road on to Punta Arenas.
Good to know
Which are the five-star hotels in Patagonia?
Two. The five-star houses we list in Patagonia are Awasi Patagonia, the twelve villas on a private reserve at the edge of Torres del Paine with a guide and a four-wheel drive to each, and Tierra Patagonia Hotel & Spa, the low curve of glass and raw wood on the shore of Lago Sarmiento facing the Paine massif. Two more houses hold four-star standing: Explora Torres del Paine, the modernist lodge beside the Salto Chico waterfall inside the park, and The Singular Patagonia, the restored cold-storage plant on the fjord at Puerto Bories outside Puerto Natales.
Where to stay — inside Torres del Paine or at Puerto Natales?
Inside or at the edge of the park for the peaks in the window and the trails from the door: Awasi and Tierra sit on its eastern side by Lago Sarmiento, Explora by the Salto Chico at the heart of it. Puerto Natales, two hours south on the fjord of Última Esperanza, is the gateway town and the base for the glacier boats and the milodon cave; The Singular stands on the water at Puerto Bories, four kilometers from town. Many journeys pair a lodge in the park with a night or two on the fjord.
When is the best time to visit Patagonia?
October to April is the season: the long days of December to February bring the most light and the most wind, with high summer rates; November and March are quieter and often calmer. The weather changes by the hour in any month — four seasons in a day is the local saying — and warm layers and a windproof shell are the rule. Most lodges close from June to August; a few open for the winter with fewer guests and snow on the massif.
How do you get to Torres del Paine?
Fly from Santiago to Punta Arenas (about three and a half hours), then drive about three hours north to Puerto Natales and two more to the park; a small airport at Puerto Natales takes seasonal flights from Santiago. The lodges include the transfers in their all-inclusive rates and meet their guests at the airport; the roads inside the park are gravel and the lodges drive them daily.
How do I reserve a stay?
Search your dates on the hotel's page to see reference rates, then send the concierge a request. The concierge confirms exact rates and availability with you before anything is booked, and any payment and its timing are set out before you confirm.
