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The best places to stay in Patagonia

If you’ve never thought of visiting Patagonia, you should – there’s hidden gems a’plenty.

Chilean Patagonia recently welcomed its first two new luxury resorts in over a decade. These are the four most dynamic digs at the end of the world.

Explora Salto Chico

Explora Patagonia was one of the first of its kind

A luxury trailblazer since 1993, Explora Salto Chico is still crazily beautiful after all these years.

 

Many of its 49 rooms and suites have private outdoor jacuzzis, and all have panoramic views of Lake Pehoé, the Salto Chico waterfall or the Torres del Paine range.

 

All programs include accommodation, transfers from and to the airport, meals and beverages, and a menu of more than 40 exploration routes designed by the outdoors team.

 

Expeditions include treks and horseback rides through the national park, comprising the Southern Ice Fields, Lakes Paine and Sarmiento, AsciendoRiverValley and Toro Heights.  You’ll get to see majestic mountains, turquoise lakes, glaciers, lenga tree forests, viewpoints, prairies and rivers, in addition to the most iconic spans of the trekking circuit known as “W".

 

Explora’s dining room also serves an exceptional selection of Chilean wines, and offers guided tastings. If you’re lucky you may get to experience The Quincho – a typical Patagonia experience available to guests from September to April –as weather permits– in which the hotel’s gauchos prepare a spit-roasted lamb in a privileged location with panoramic views to Torres del Paine.

 

From $2660 for a minimum of four nights.

Address: Torres de Paine, Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena, Chile

The Singular

Overlook the Andes at The Singular

Opened in 2012, The Singular has 57 rooms overlooking the Andes, a chic spa and unparalleled connections to Chile’s culinary history.

 

Located in an impeccably renovated, 1915-era sheep processing plant, the industrial-chic property is run by descendants of the 19th century Spanish agriculturalist who first brought lambs to Patagonia.

 

Friendly guides lead exclusive excursions to the nearby fjords and mountains, and the exemplary onsite restaurant serves the best of the local bounty – like Patagonian hare, white strawberries and, yes, pasture-raised organic lamb.

 

Similar to the russet-red exterior of the new building where the rooms are located, both options are decorated in earthy tones and elements that give a nod to the Singular’s industrial past: picture polished concrete ceilings and straight-from-the-factory-floor copper lights.

 

Under a polished concrete ceiling, the hotel’s glorious indoor pool looks out over Last Hope Sound through floor-to-ceiling windows. There’s also a spa, hammam and sauna onsite, perfect for unwinding after a long hike.

 

From $550 per night.

Address: Km 5, 5 Norte S/N, Natales, Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena, Chile

Tierra Patagonia

Expect breathtaking views at Tierra Patagonia
Expect breathtaking views at Tierra

The 40-room Tierra Patagonia resort also debuted in 2012, within southern Patagonia’s breathtaking Torres del Paine National Park.

 

Interiors have a Scandinavia-on-Lake-Sarmiento vibe, with sleek furniture made from indigenous blond wood alongside the occasional sheepskin throw or cowhide rug.

 

Floor-to-ceiling windows provide sweeping views of the lake, sky and grassy plains filled with grazing sheep and guanaco.

 

The resort also has guided excursions throughout the park, a welcoming restaurant and the fantastic Uma Spa, where an outdoor jacuzzi and indoor cascade pool overlook the park’s eponymous peaks.

 

The hotel’s restaurant is a welcoming space. Warm lighting and softwood tones feel as if you are dining in a true nature sanctuary, particularly as the wild, Patagonian steppe unfolds on the other side of the restaurant’s windows. The cuisine is traditional Patagonian cuisine with a modern twist – think hearty stews and slow-cooked soups sourced from the nearby estancias surrounding the lodge.

 

From $1870 for a minimum of three nights.

Address: On the edge of Torres del Paine National Park, Torres de Paine, Chile

Indigo Patagonia

Expect funky interiors and majestic views

The most urban of the group, Indigo Patagonia, is located in charmingly scruffy port town Puerto Natales.

 

Nestled between fjords and snow-capped mountains, Indigo Patagonia Hotel combines the warmth and personal service of a lodge with the modern comforts of an upscale resort.

 

In 2006, the boutique hotel underwent a major renovation by Chilean architect Sebastián Irrazával.

 

The result is a funky mix of Nordic furnishings, unadorned woodwork and a multi-story eucalyptus wall. The hotel boasts sweeping views of Ultima Esperanza Fjord, the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers and mountain as far as the eye can see.

 

The 29 rooms are sparse but comfortable, and the knockout rooftop spa has three outdoor jacuzzis with views of the grey fjords and glaciers.

 

Savour authentic Chilean cuisine at the hotel’s bistro, with wraparound windows facing the fjord. This particular eatery is known for its inspiring views and locally sourced ingredients. Each day guests enjoy a complimentary breakfast buffet of homemade pastries, fresh fruits, bacon, sausages, omelettes and more. The lounge bar is a great place for a cocktail before dinner.

 

From $265 per night.

Address:  Ladrilleros 105, Natales, Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena, Chile

 

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8 grand journeys across Latin America

    From camping along alpine meadows in Patagonia to cruising the Amazon, these are the best Latin America journeys to tick off your bucket list.

    1. The Q Circuit in Patagonia

    Travelling with: Emma Ventura

    the Torres del Paine mountains in Patagonia, Chile
    A turquoise lake surrounded by snow-capped peaks at Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park. (Image: Getty/ MBPROJEKT_Maciej_Bledowski)

    Tolkienian peaks, pristine lakes and snow-bloated rivers are highlights for most visitors spending a couple of days in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park. But for the more intrepid, the real rewards come from a 10-day solo circumnavigation of the Q Circuit, camping along tracks that become more sparsely trodden the further you head into the park’s astonishingly diverse landscape – think glacial passes and granite spires, alpine meadows and forest paths. Five-star lodges might provide a break from Patagonia’s infamously feisty weather, but there’s nothing like carrying your own kit, a chance encounter with an elusive puma, and a crackling wood stove in a remote refugio for delivering the kind of fulfilment that money just can’t buy.

    2. The jungles of Central America

    Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

    women traversing the Mistico Hanging Bridges in La Fortuna, Costa Rica
    The Mistico Hanging Bridges in La Fortuna are perched above the forest floor.

    Emerging from the seas millions of years ago, the isthmus that is Central America is a tropical sanctuary of jungle-clad volcanoes, thunderous waterfalls and mist-shrouded rainforests, fringed by coral reefs. At its heart, Costa Rica is the land of pura vida (pure life), a tiny country that is home to six per cent of the world’s biodiversity – think toucans, macaws, anteaters, tapirs, jaguars, sloths – with verdant rainforest carpeting more than half the country. It’s a land to explore on two feet, two wheels and with two paddles. Do all three on Intrepid Travel’s eight-day Costa Rica: Hike, Bike & Raft tour and G Adventures’ 16-day Costa Rica Adventure.

    a toucan in the rainforest of Costa Rica
    A rainbow-billed toucan in the rainforest of Costa Rica. (Image: Getty/Freder)

    3. Dance across Latin America

    Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

    samba dancing in the street, Brazil
    Put on your dancing shoes in Latin America. (Image: Getty/Pollyana Ventura)

    Don your tassels and get flirty cha cha-ing in Havana. Feel the heat dancing Argentine tango at a milonga in Buenos Aires. Hear the pulse of percussion as you samba in Rio. In Latin America, movement is an expression of culture, celebration and passion. You don’t have to be a professional to partake, and there are plenty of dance schools where foreigners can learn the basics. It’s easy as one-step, two-step, cha-cha-cha.

    4. Hike to Colombia’s Lost City

    Travelling with: Sarah Reid

    the terraces of Lost City, Colombia
    The Lost City is Colombia’s best-kept secret. (Image: Getty/Charly Boillot)

    Reaching the ancient ciudad perdida (‘Lost City’) of Teyuna hidden within the steamy jungles of northern Colombia is a surreal moment, amplified by the challenging three-to-five-day return trek to get there. Built by the Indigenous Tairona People around 800 CE, this labyrinthine complex of stone staircases and circular platforms has only been partly excavated since treasure looters stumbled upon it in 1972. Limited tourism infrastructure adds to the Indiana Jones vibe. Intrepid Travel’s new Lost City Trekking in Colombia tour includes a respectful visit to a Wiwa community to learn more about their Tairona Ancestors and traditional way of life.

    5. The Galápagos Islands

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    the Observation Lounge at the top of the Silversea ship
    Visit the remote Galápagos Islands on a Silversea cruise.

    Expect the brackish air around the Galápagos Islands to be mixed with the gritty odour of bird droppings and pungent tang of sea lion BO. Twist your binoculars until the black eye of the giant Galápagos tortoise fills the other end, and you might imagine yourself to be quite the adventurer centuries after the inhabitants of these islands inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Get onboard a cruise with operators like Silversea, HX Expeditions, Celebrity Cruises and Metropolitan Touring to see the remote archipelago of 19 islands loom into view just 900 kilometres off the coast of mainland Ecuador.

    a blue-footed booby on the Galapagos Islands
    A blue-footed booby on the Galapagos Islands. (Image: Getty/Bruce Campos)

    6. Pantanal, Brazil

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    a Jaguar walking on the banks of a river, South Pantanal, Brazil
    Spot a jaguar in the world’s largest tropical wetland. (Image: Getty/ Dgwildlife)

    Brazil’s Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland and a UNESCO World Heritage site, is reportedly one of the best places on Earth to spot jaguars. This vast landscape of flooded plains and savannahs also shelters more than 650 species of birds (such as the toucan and hyacinth macaw) as well as various reptiles including the yellow anaconda and cold-blooded caiman (a type of crocodilian). Add capybaras, giant anteaters, maned wolves, giant river otters and South American tapirs to your wildlife bingo card, too. And find a tour that includes piranha fishing, if you dare.

    7. Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    the salt flats in Bolivia
    Immerse yourself in the world’s largest salt flats. (Image: Getty/ Olga Gavrilova)

    Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni covers more than 10,500 square kilometres, making it the world’s largest salt flats. The salt flats of Uyuni were formed more than 40,000 years ago when several prehistoric lakes dried up and left a bed of rich minerals behind. Stay at Luna Salada, where the walls and furnishings are made from dense bricks of packed salt, so you can immerse yourself in this ethereal landscape. Visit southern Bolivia during the dry season when the salt crystallises into mesmerising shapes and patterns.

    8. The iconic sites of Peru

    Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

    scarlet macaws at a cliff in the Amazon
    The Amazon is home to diverse birdlife such as wild scarlet macaws.

    Hiking the Andes. Cruising the Amazon. It’s the stuff of legends. From the vast expanses of Lake Titicaca to the archaeological wonder of Machu Picchu to the Amazon Basin, one of the greatest remaining wildernesses on Earth, you can stitch Peru’s epic sites together on tour with andBeyond or Abercrombie & Kent. To sweeten the experience, both luxury operators are launching new state-of-the-art vessels on the Amazon River in September 2025 and July respectively.

    the superior suite onboard andBeyond Amazon Explorer
    Stay in a superior suite onboard andBeyond Amazon Explorer.