Awasi Patagonia

Rooms

Visible from each other but a good distance apart are 13 romantic cabins. A fourteenth, with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a secluded indoor terrace, is aimed at families or friends. So luxurious that they merit the term ‘villas’, each is a short stroll from the main lodge.

Taking their cue from Patagonian ranching outposts, these all-wood structures are designed to blend into the surroundings. There’s a back-to-nature vibe so you can ‘connect to the world', yet the comforts are entirely modern. Rustic wood lines walls, polished wood tops floors, and sheepskins and alpaca blankets add charm. Wood-burning stoves keep things toasty; stunning vistas keep you inspired. With a wall of picture windows (shuttered at night), each villa has been created to maximise views of Lake Sarmiento and the Torres del Paine.

Baskets of rolled towels lie in readiness for deep baths and long hot showers. No excuses here not to look your best: each bathroom has a makeup mirror and a hairdryer, a carved comb, and Awasi’s lip balm, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and milled soap - a piquant blend of mint and lemon. Other thoughtful items include a bedside torch and a pair of walking sticks.

The finishing touches? Inside: a complimentary minibar stocked with drinks. Outside: a private hot tub sunk into decking - raise a glass to the brightest stars you’ll ever see. Later, while you're dining, wining and making new friends, the evening turndown service brings a woven mat and an Awasi chocolate in a cactus box to your bedside.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Complimentary mini-bar
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

A buffet breakfast is laid out in the restaurant; settle into armchairs at stylish plain-wood dining tables. You'll find fresh fruits, just-baked breads and pitchers of hand-squeezed orange and chirimoya juices, as well as yoghurt, cereals and cold cuts. Furthermore, a cook is on hand to fix eggs, omelettes, French toast - whatever you fancy.

For lunch and dinner, there are daily changing menus that feature fish, meat and vegetarian options. Feast on Austral crab lasagne, slow-cooked lamb shank or grilled white fish reineta; traditional Patagonian dishes with a modern European twist. The produce is fresh and supplied by subsidised farming communities, and wines flow freely. If you're out on an excursion, you'll be given a picnic box.

Enjoy aperitifs and digestifs in the large lounge, wood-floored and wood-panelled from top to toe. Bright cushions beautify sofas upholstered in lemon, and deep-orange bench seats await by the woodburner (one of several, all huge). The bar stocks premium beers and liquours, including the popular pisco, and a selection of wines from all regions of Chile. There's also a premium wine list (extra cost).

Awasi staff are happy to recommend and drive you to restaurants in other hotels if you want a change of scene.

Features include:

• All meals included
• Bar
• Restaurant

Activities

What’s great about the Awasi experience is you can explore the reserve in your private 4x4, either on your own or accompanied by your guide. If you'd prefer to be active, Torres del Paine is a hikers’ paradise, and hikes, hacks and cycle tours are organised each day, from the arduous to the gentle.

• Try a 1-hour hike to the Laguna Azul (Blue Lagoon) to acquaint yourself with the birdlife: caiquéns (upland geese), Pato juarjuals (crested ducks), taguas (red-gartered coots), and llamas and rheas along the way
  
• Take a trip across the flowing pampas - on bike, horseback or foot - to Los Riscos, a large rift of basalt origin where you can observe condors at close range, in awesome scenery
  
• Explore the stunning Miradores area on a 4-5 hour excursion that starts at the Weber Bridge, close to where the Paine flows into Lake Toro. Puff your way up Sierra del Toro to be rewarded with a view of the extreme southern part of the national park, then trek though ancient coigüe, lenga and ñirre forest to arrive at the Laguna Verde (Green Lagoon) and more views - this time of the Cordillera Paine
  
• Or how about a 4-hour fossil trail to the Cumbre-Baguales Geological & Paleontological Park? This takes in a highland steppe landscape and 40 million-year-old flora and fauna. Find plants, mollusks, sharks’ teeth and tree trunks fossilised in deep valleys and cliffs
  
• Get a feel for how the redoubtable Lady Florence Dixie and her entourage lived while crossing the Torres del Paine National Park in 1878: the first Europeans to do so. Follow part of their trail, from the slopes of Sierra Contreras and the Laguna Azul to the iconic Torres del Paine, christened ‘Cleopatra’s Needles’ by Florence. An exhilarating 7-hour trip for the hardy rider, gaucho-led
  
• And after all that, a soothing massage in your villa is in order, followed by a deep soak in your outdoor Jacuzzi!

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Boat trips
• Cycling
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Mountain biking
• Plantlife / flora
• Private guided tours
• Safaris
• Trekking
• Well being
• Wildlife

Kids

The hotel is best suited to active older children. All villas can take an extra bed (the Master Villa can sleep up to 5), and there are plenty of activities to enjoy

Best for:

Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 1.5 hours' drive (Puerto Natales)
• Nearest shop, including a pharmacy: 50km

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Awasi Patagonia is a 40-minute drive from the gateway to the Torres del Paine National Park, within sight of Lake Sarmiento, in southern Patagonia, Chile.

By Air:
There are daily flights between Santiago and Punta Arenas, which is a 5-hour drive from the hotel. There are also new flights from Santiago to Puerto Natales, whereby the 5-hour transfer is avoided.

From the Airport
Buses run from Punta Arenas airport (20km outside the town) to Puerto Natales. The hotel offers free transfers from Puerto Natales, and private transfers from Punta Arenas can be arranged for an additional cost. A transfer from El Calafate in Argentine Patagonia is also possible.

By Car:
Since all transport for excursions once you're here is provided by Awasi Patagonia, it’s an unnecessary expense to hire a car. However, as an alternative to flying to Punta Arenas, you could drive here from Argentine Patagonia. Fly from Buenos Aires to El Calafate (4 hours; several flights daily), then see the glaciers, and hire a car to drive over the border into Chile. The journey time is roughly the same as from Punta Arenas, the landscape is stunning, and you’ll find the services and infrastructure better in El Calafate than in Punta Arenas. Arrange car hire 24 hours in advance and warn them you'll be taking the car into Chile. See our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you confirm a booking through i-escape.