Patagonian Paradise
Working in travel, we are frequently asked what our favourite destination is. This is an incredibly difficult question to answer, but I have finally discovered a clear winner. My new home away from home (or so I wish) is Awasi Patagonia.
If there’s one place that really nails it in terms of service, food, and experience, this is it. Perched on the side of a hill just outside Torres del Paine National Park, on a traditional working estancia, sit the 12 private villas of Awasi Patagonia. This luxury boutique hotel is part of the Relais & Chateaux family and has an equally excellent sister property, Awasi Atacama in San Pedro de Atacama.
Picture perfectly appointed cabins that blend effortlessly into the environment and boast just the right combination of rustic charm and modern touches, surrounded by dense forest. Each villa has its own fireplace and faces the Paine massif, bringing the unrivalled view right into your living room and bedroom. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, the villas also have their own personal wood-burning hot tub to soak in, as you watch the sun set and the stars roll in.
If the villas don’t sweep you off your feet, the excursions and service will. Included with each stay is your own guide and vehicle, so all excursions are private and tailor-made to your interests and fitness level. With glacier walking, hiking, biking, kayaking, horseback riding, and more, you will be spoiled for choice every day. Awasi doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to the cuisine either; think locally focused dishes with flavourful Chilean wine that will leave you bursting at the seams (but still wanting more).
Despite all this, it’s the exceptional staff at Awasi that really make this place hum. The personal touches combined with the privacy Awasi provides make it truly unique. It is the only lodge in the area that routinely offers an all-private experience; this unique selling point sets Awasi apart from the crowd as one of the best luxury lodges in Chilean Patagonia. Now if only I could figure out a way to purchase it as my summer home.
Victoria (known alternately as Wrangler, Wrangles, or Wrangledog) is our orchestrator of all things Latin American, and a fabulous hotel bed tester to boot.
