Leaving behind the sunshine and the sleek poolside bar of the Faena hotel to emerge a few hours later at the heart of the glacier region in Patagonia, can be a shock for even the most seasoned traveller. Such is the wonderful contrast of Argentina that can take you to jungle waterfalls, pleasant authentic vineyards, crunching glaciers and rustic cowboy ranches bookended by a steak dinner and sexy tango show all in a two week trip.

Above image :  the Faena Hotel and universe (subject to copyright)

My flight from Buenos Aires to El Calafate offered a window seat dilemma – would I prefer to follow in the footsteps of view Antoine Saint-Exupery and gaze east over the Peninsula Valdes marine wildlife reserve trying to pick out some penguin colonies? Or face west, and enjoy a spectacular view of Mount Fitzroy’s jagged teeth, the Cerro Torre and dazzling Southern Patagonian Ice Field? A delightful quandary to embrace and one which i won’t influence you in by telling you mine this time.

Above photo: The Argentine Glacier Region (subject to copyright)

Most visitors spend only two nights in the Glacier Region and limit their time solely to the Perito Moreno glacier before moving on, but for me this is as wasteful as opening a robust bottle of Malbec  and only taking one sip. Aside from the picture perfect Perito Moreno glacier - which can be viewed from afar on the catwalks, from below on a boat or from above as part of our trekking tours – the glacier region has so much to offer for those looking for some fresh air and outstanding scenery.

Above photo: The Perito Moreno Glacier (subject to copyright)

Located between the town and the glacier, the two best lodges in the area are the authentic Alta Vista  and the luxurious Eolo. Both are perched beautifully in a glacial valley and offer fantastic horse riding and hiking excursions around the spectacular landscape.  As beautiful as those two were, the highlight of my time here was the day spent cruising through the glacial channels to Estancia Cristina. There since 1914 the estancia is encircled by lakes with bobbing icebergs, dramatic mountains, the shimmering Uppsala glacier and not much else.  Before a hearty lunch of lamb stew at the ranch, a 4x4 trip up to the glacier viewpoint is a must. With just a handful of visitors there with me, as opposed to the thousands the day before at Perito Moreno, put the faraway cherry on this sweetly remote cake. 

Above image :   Estancia Cristina 

Such wild swathes of scenery seem ceaseless as we drive a few hours over the border to Chile where the Torres del Paine, one of the world’s finest national parks, lies and home to the stunning granite shards which give the park its name. Inside the park are several luxury camping options we’ve specifically selected on the merits of their spectacular, up close experience. The real champion amongst these is the Explora hotel for me, combining a gobsmackingly dazzling location (one of the best in the world I reckon) with superb comfort and luxury.

During peak season the park experiences a high volume of visitors, all keen on hiking their way up to some of the grandstand viewpoints. Those looking for a little more variety should look outside the park: the rustic, working estancia of Cerro Guido will offer you and only a dozen other guests, 2,500 horses and 50,000 sheep to share its 100,000 hectares, whereas the newly built Tierra Patagonia has been cleverly designed to offer a luxurious experience at one with the breath taking surroundings.

Above photo :  Tierra Patagonia (subject to copyright)

Leaving Torres del Paine with a heavy heart the landscape started to finally settle down and flatten as I made my way to Puerto Natales, the main hub of civilisation springing up from this wilderness realm , and onto the shores of Ultima Esperanza, Last Hope Sound. The two accommodation front-runners here without question are the Remota, an interesting and comfortable design hotel just outside the town and with some stunning views of the fjords. The Singular is the second if not the best to be honest; a stunning new hotel with one of the best restaurants in Patagonia. Also don’t let the fact that it is a converted cold storage plant put you off, because its renovations have been careful to preserve the historical importance of the building doubling this industrial chic hotel as a museum with  an expansive menu of activities to boot. My advice is base yourself here for exploring the area in and around Torres del Paine.

Above photos: The  Singular  hotel (subject to copyright)

Patagonia is often referred to as ‘Land of the Giants’. While this is apt for the huge mountain, valleys and glaciers which draw us in, it should also be remembered that the distances between the different destinations are vast. Transferring from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas to catch a flight up to Puerto Montt, the gateway to the Chilean Lake District in northern Patagonia took the best part of a day. Compared to the more rugged scenery further south, the Lake District of both Chile and Argentina is more Alpine with pretty lakes and snow-topped symmetrical volcanoes on the horizon.

One of the most stunning lodges in the area is the Cliffs Preserve on the Pacific coast, approximately 1.5 hours drive from Puerto Montt which is the regional capital. With 10 kilometres of coast and 800 acres of protected land as its grounds, this place feels like your very own unique patch of planet earth. Plus the accommodation here is super luxurious, with its sizeable villas spaced out along the coast giving you an extra dollop of privacy and some pretty spectacular views. This is a place for those that enjoy the outdoors too as  it has 22 kilometres of private hiking trails and offers a variety of excursions from penguin, dolphin or whale watching to fly fishing, sea kayaking or horse riding. The staff of 50 make sure the 35 guests are very well looked after and have worked hard to establish this resort as one of the best in the area.

Above photo: Cliffs Preserve (subject to copyright)

Puerto Varas is where most base themselves for exploring the delights and thrills of the area, standing out for its picturesque, but almost strangely placed, German-settler architecture and also a collection of very high-end, character hotels to choose from. Quincho Country House and Casa Molino are two pretty lodges which offer warm comfort and modern alpine luxury both in a beautiful lakeside setting and stunning, solitary views over the water to a horizon of volcanoes. From Puerto Varas a half hour drive took me to the exciting Petrohue lodge, which is nestled alongside the Todos Los Santos lake, with nothing but ancient forests and snow-dusted volcanoes for company, it is a superb place for those seeking some active adventures which the region is so famed for. Guests can get their kicks from hiking, rock climbing, volcano trekking, riding, fishing or rafting just to name a few.

A full days lake crossing from Petrohue across into the Argentine Lake District is a pretty way to travel but at 12 hours it can prove a long journey. Arriving in the Nahuel Huapi Lake, the landscape is equally charming to that on the Chilean side and like Puerto Varas, Bariloche also has a distinct European feel to it, although the real temptation of this area lies outside the main town in the lakeside lodges.

Picture above :  Argentine Lake District  (subject to copyright)

From the historic  Llao Llao resort   perched above the lake with out-of-this-world mountain views, to the warm family charm of Estancia Peuma Hue, and the sleek feel of El Casco Art Hotel - the Argentine Lake District has a wide variety of charismatic character fused with some stellar luxury. A further hour away from Bariloche is the smaller town of Villa Angostura, famous as being the starting point for the  impressive ‘Seven Lakes Drive’, and home to two of the most attractive hotels I have ever visited. Correntoso and Las Balsas both benefit from wonderful lakeside settings with sweeping panoramas and matchless service .

Above:  Llao Llao resort  (picture copyrighted)

Although April is considered very much the ‘shoulder season’ in Southern Argentina and Chile as the continent creeps towards winter, those heading down to Patagonia at this time will be rewarded with the beautiful autumn hues in the forests at Torres del Paine and along the lakes of Bariloche. Furthermore, there’s usually fewer tourists at attractions such as the Perito Moreno glacier.

It is always hard to leave such an exhilarating and enchanting area as Patagonia, but I counted myself very fortunate indeed to have visited the region at such a magical time of year as this.

If you would like a custom-built luxury trip to include Argentine and Chilean Patagonian regions, please give George a call on: (0)20 7 562 8288 (UK) //+1 866 610 1533 (US)  
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We probably need not remind you that this is the most amorous month of year… so we choose to inspire and seduce you with some of Latin America’s finest romantic getaways: for luxury, love and your travel passions.

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