Located at the end of the world, on the southernmost tip of South America, Patagonia is a destination that has always piqued the interest of many an adventure travel enthusiast, and as the third stop on our Chilean journey, it’s easy to see why.
Boarded by the spectacular Andes Mountains, the Chilean side is a mass of Fjords, glaciers and peaks, which converge most powerfully in the Torres Del Paine National Park, and after having already explored the dry-stark Atacama in the North, and the lush wetlands of Chiloe in the south, Patagonia’s souring peaks were the perfect contrast, and our ideal playground.
The journey began in Punta Arenas, a port town where we spent the night. We didn’t spend time here, but we did run into a family of nomads who were on a 5 month sabbatical, and they had used Punta Areas for a base to take an adventure cruise, where they encountered whales, sea lions and penguins.
The drive down to Torres Del Pain takes about 4hrs and while the start of the drive was quite uneventful, with nothing but wide open plains and the odd small village on the horizon, soon enough we began to see the snow-capped peaks jut out at us in the distance. Then, out of no-where we had arrived at the incredible Tierra Patagonia.
Tierra Patagonia sits nestled into the hillside at the edge of Lake Sarmiento, and with the award winning contemporary design, which blends so perfectly with the local surrounds, it’s almost invisible until you arrive. But, as soon as you do arrive, you’re overlooking Chile’s spectacular Torres Del Paine National Park, and it’s honestly one of the most spectacular landscapes that I ever have seen.
Now, on to the lodge itself….
The sense of arrival, as you walk through the main doors and catch your first glimpse of the mountains, was a serious WOW factor! And as we were greeted by Nicholas the General Manager, and shown through the hotel, I was simply in awe.
Tierra Patagonia is the perfect combination of casual luxe, as they offer all of the amenities and impeccable service standards that you’d expect from a luxury lodge, all the while ensuring that they offer a beautifully luxurious yet laid back experience.
The whole property is architecturally stunning and the inside is light and airy, with large floor to ceiling windows across the open plan public space, with views facing directly out onto the National Park. This main space is combines the lounge area (fire place and all), along with couches to sink in to and the main bar and dining room. As you settle in, the space allows you the opportunity to mingle with other like-minded guests, which you inevitable do, since many of the excursions are held in small groups.
The guestrooms boast handcrafted furniture, with uniquely Patagonian details – and again every room has big picture windows overlooking the mountains, so no matter where you are in the hotel, you have that iconic view (except the loo!). Oh, and did I mention the L’Occitane toiletries and massive free standing bath tubs! (Bliss!)
When it comes to your stay, Tierra Patagonia is all-inclusive. From the beautifully designed daily 3 course lunch and dinner menu, to all of your activities, it’s the perfect way to immerse yourself in the experience, without having to over think everything. The hardest decision is working out what activities to do, and whether you want a Pisco Sour or a Wine to start.
In terms of the excursions, like the other Tierra lodges, they are led by knowledgeable, skilled and experienced guides, and you’ll find a range of activities to choose from.
There are half day escorted treks, horseback rides across the Patagonian steppe and exhilarating full day mountain hikes. You are taken to all corners of the National Park as well as areas less travelled. You are guided to world famous locations, like the four glaciers with the Torres del Pain National Park, and encouraged to meet locals who live and work in this unique setting. So whether you’re super active or looking for a more mellow way to explore, there is something perfect for you.
I’m sure there are no surprises that for us, it was all about the bucket list hike… The full day hike to the world famous base of the Torres Del Paine, where you see the impressive views of the three granite towers.
This is a 22km, 7hr, full day journey, so we chose a few shorter hikes to build ourselves up to that, and to ensure that our hike landed on the best day (weather wise) to take it on.
(The weather can be highly unpredictable in Patagonia, so we were very fortunate to have arrived during a streak of sun filled, mild days, where the trekking conditions and visibility would be ideal).
On day one we took on a half day hike ‘Cornices: To the Cliff Edge in Search Birdlife’, which is an “off the beaten track” walk along the edge of an escarpment. Here where we had sweeping views of Torres Del Paine, and we stood in awe as we watched Condor’s take flight and soar overhead. While the hike was fairly gentle, it was the perfect introduction to region.
Day Two we headed off on a lesser known trail ‘Paso de Agostini’, which was a stunning full day hike, where we traversed through lenga forest to reach a series of lookout points, with panoramic views of the lakes and mountains.
Like all of the excursions with Tierra, we set off for the day with a lovely group of likeminded travellers, and as we meandered along, taking in the views, we shared stories from home and our travels. The final pièce de résistance of the day was a short climb to take in the largest lake in the area, Lago del Toro, before a sharp descent to the van, where a cold Austral Cerveza (local beer) was waiting.
And finally, day three, was the big one … to the Base of the Three Towers!
An iconic route among the hiking community and an eye-opening experience for any semi-active traveller, this was everything that I had imagined and more!
Whilst not technically challenging, a good level of fitness is required, as it’s a long day and there are some steep uphill sections (but all totally worth it).
The first part is a steep climb, loosely following the natural course of the Ascensio River to Paso de los Vientos, where vegetation is thin on the ground. As we hiked higher, the views evolved and the snow-capped mountains came into sight.
After a stretch of fairly flat walking on a steep mountainside, we arrived at the “Chileno” refuge, where it was time to hydrate and indulge in some local Chocolate (for replenishing our energy levels of course).
Continuing on, we crossed the river, where we enjoyed the shade and a change of pace on the trail through native forest. Then, just when we thought we’d all found a nice pace, the terrain changed again, and opening out onto a steep rocky hillside, with huge chunks of stone and snow, making it a little more challenging. (Trust me, the poles came in VERY handy!).
But the effort of this severe ascent was rewarded by the view of the iconic magnificence of the Towers at the top.
Here were sat in complete awe and enjoyed our lunch, basking in the sun like Lizard’s on a rock, as we took in the surroundings. The day was so picture perfect that we had time to appreciate both the isolation and grandeur of these mountains, and just breathe in the beauty of nature.
These are the moments that I love about being in the mountains. The remoteness, the scale and the humbling experience of it all. There is something about the mountains that offers you a clear sense of perspective and many of your thoughts or worries simply disappear.
Finally, each day after backtracking our way down the mountains, we’d return to a spread of nibbles and beer, carefully laid out by our Tierra guides and drivers, before returning to the lodge where we were able to pamper ourselves in the hotel’s Uma Spa.
The lodge’s spa boasts an indoor heated pool (possibly one of the most stunning pools I’ve actually ever seen!), an outdoor Jacuzzi overlooking the impossibly beautiful landscape, spa and massage treatment rooms and a brand new yoga space. Uma Spa is the ideal way to unwind after an adventure filled day, and another opportunity to swap stories and share the day’s highlights with other travellers.
As our stay at Tierra Patagonia drew to a close, it is true that I may have shed a little tear as we bid farewell to the team and headed back to Punta Areas. It really is the ultimate adventure spa hotel and the combination of the exquisite landscape, awe inspiring lodge and the warm and genuine staff, culminated to ensure that my experience at Tierra Patagonia was one that I’ll remember for many years to come.
And frankly, as hard as I’ve tried there are no images or words that really do it justice. So, I guess that means that you need to add it to your list and go for yourself!
HOT TIP: Definitely do 4 nights here if you can. That will allow you to do the full day Base of the Towers hike, a smaller half day hike and perhaps a horse riding excursion, and then you’ll still have a full day to do to glacier lagoon. We ran out of time, but a full day exploring the glacier on a boat, would have been the perfect way to end the trip, and rest up after 2 days of hiking.
Thanks so much for checking out my post. If you’re thinking of planning your own Tierra Hotels, Chile or South American journey, I’d love to assist, so please feel free to get in touch.
Kate xx
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