011: Everywhere We Stayed in Chile
Plus, the bucketlist hotels I'd stay at if I had a £1k+ per night budget.
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Chile is a long bean pole of a country stretching from the southernmost tip of the continent to the border with Peru. We only managed to visit two main areas: the Chilean Patagonia and then the Atacama desert up in the far north of the country.
While Chile has some of the most bucket list worthy hotels in the world (IMHO), we couldn’t quite stretch our budget to the £1k+ per night a lot of them command so instead we resorted to campsite hopping, some less than glam hostels and a couple of fancier Airbnb stays.
I’d previously said that we have a general rule of thumb for travelling: do not arrive anywhere in the dark.
Despite planning ahead and booking early buses to prevent this from happening on our arrival into Puerto Natales, the inevitable delays at the border between Argentina and Chile meant that we still arrived in this tiny port town as dusk was settling into the evening.
This, alongside my hormones (IYKYK), a hangover, sore legs from trekking up a mountain the day before, and the fact that we were about to embark on another hiking adventure in a matter of days, all possibly (definitely) contributed to me arriving at our hostel and having a tear or two when I saw our room.
To be fair to me, the room was absolutely tiny, had two single beds, a bathroom that was definitely not big enough to swing a cat and walls so thin that I was basically sleeping in the same bed as the snorer next door. I also can’t explain it but the hostel had a vibe that was…creepy….It’s safe to say that, I would not recommend a stay there, but if my description tickled your pickle, here’s the link.
After we’d completed the W, we headed back to Puerto Natales for 2 extra nights where no surprises here, we weren’t repeating a stay at our previous hostel. Instead, I found a little Airbnb cabin in the back garden of a resident’s home – it was perfect for what we needed, mostly because of the two glorious dogs who would enthusiastically greet us anytime we opened the front door.
When we first arrived in Puerto Natales, I have to say that I wasn’t really a fan of the little town. I’m not sure if this was down to the impending challenge of the W, the rude awakening of the first hostel or the off kilter quirkiness of the town itself, but over time, it really grew on me and I’d jump at the chance to visit again one day.
DREAM STAY: My dream stay is a place that we were recommended to book as a post-W treat, however, when push came to shove we just couldn’t justify breaking the budget after just spent a boatload of money camping.
Hotel Simple Patagonia is a weather-beaten collection of native wood clad buildings whose design ethos is in the name: simplicity.
If I had to stay, I’d opt for one of the corner rooms and bask in the view while resting my feet post-hike.
I feel like I have spoken for days about the W Trek on this Substack, so if you want to find out more about where we stayed and what on earth I’m talking about then here is the link to my comprehensive newsletter about the subject.
Now, onto the fun bit…
DREAM STAY: IMHO Torres Del Paine has some of the dreamiest hotels on earth – in fact, I’m pretty sure my daydreaming about visiting the park was kickstarted by seeing pictures of one of my below picks.
While I would have loved to have stayed in some super plush hotel rooms in the park, having now visited, I’m not sure it would be worth the expenditure. By camping, we were constantly out in the thick of it – I was literally sleeping next to some of the best views I ever have and ever will see. I’m definitely just trying to make myself feel better, but there is at least a grain or two of truth in my thinking…right?!
For proximity to Mirador Las Torres Base: I’d stay in Explora Patagonia National Park. I told you that the Explora brand’s mention in last week’s Substack wasn’t going to be their last. In fact, they’ll be mentioned twice in this one alone!
Quite cruelly, you’ll walk by this hotel when you move from Central campsite to Frances on your second day of the W (if you do it the way we did). Out of pure nosiness (and in truth, a desperate search for an iced coffee) we stuck our heads into the reception (and the gift shop which appropriately sold Patagonia jackets) before scarpering when we realised we looked very out of place.
For beyond epic views: I’d book a room in Explora Patagonia Torres del Paine. The second Explora in the park - and probably the most spectacular - sits on the shores of Lake Pehoé which was our exit point of the trip.
When I return to Torres del Paine, you’ll find me either walking the hotel’s wooden walkways to various miradors or watching the sunlight make its way across the mountains from one of the outdoor jacuzzis.
For cabin living: it would have to be Awasi Patagonia. Awasi’s concept is simple – private lodges with a luxury concierge service, local guides, a personal four wheel drive car and a Relais & Châteaux restaurant which is open to guests only. The set-up gives me Succession family holiday vibes.
For a superior spa experience: I’d reserve a spot at Tierra Patagonia whose heated indoor pool makes me want to play the EuroMillions over and over again.
Aside from the spa, I love that the hotel is designed to disappear into the landscape with its low profile and wood clad exterior rendering it almost impossible to see from afar.
After leaving behind Patagonia (cry) we flew up to Santiago and rented a car before driving out west towards the coast of Chile. With some R&R on the mind, we rented a cute little cabin in the hills of Olmué for a few nights with minimal plans.
We decided against staying in Valapariso itself after hearing that it was a bit meh (although we enjoyed our visit there!) and instead opted for something that would be rural, quiet and came with its *own pool*.
As with all Airbnbs, you never quite know what you’re turning up to so we were tickled to find out that our cabin was part of a private gated community (where cows roamed wildly) and was owned by an enigmatic gentleman whose life story I would love to know more of.
From here, we took a trip back into Argentina for a few days in Mendoza – you can read more about that journey (and my latent obsession with Gareth Gates and Will Young) here.
DREAM STAY: Just south of Santiago you’ll find Chile’s best wine area, the Maipo Valley and when there is wine there is always a fancy hotel or two just like Hotel Casa Real.
With beautiful grounds designed by Guillaume Renner, resident black swans, its very own chapel and a stuffy-looking restaurant, this edging on granny-esque hotel looks like the kind of place that you’d find yourself sitting poolside next to an older gentleman and his fourth wife.
Fancy yourself a surfer? Hotel Alaia is located in Chile’s most famous surfing destination, Punta de Lobos.
With a critical lack of balance, you’d find me enjoying the sweeping views of the Pacific and sipping cocktails poolside instead of taking to the waves.
When it came to finding accommodation in the Atacama, I despaired. Carrying on the theme from my Substack about where we stayed in Argentina, it was hard to find anything that didn’t feel wildly expensive for what you were getting.
After weighing up all the options, we decided to book this hostel based on photos of its sweet little courtyard and the fact that it had breakfast (of pancakes - a childhood fave) included.
Our room was cute, compact and just happened to border the courtyard which meant that it was perfect for eavesdropping on other travellers’ conversations.
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DREAM STAY: Years and years ago I remember seeing an image of this hotel and making the lofty promise to myself that I’d stay there one day. Little did I know that this hotel – the Tierra Atacama – was not (and probably never will be) in my budget at a handsome £1.3k per night (according to Mr & Mrs Smith).
And if you fancy visiting both the Tierras mentioned in this newsletter, you can opt for their Fire & Ice package deal which I can only imagine would require me to sell a kidney to even get close to affording.
With our return to the UK impending, this edition of What’s Packing is all about the things I’ve missed from home while being away:
First comes first, our Sage Coffee Machine. Yes, we’ve still obsessively been drinking coffee while we’ve been away, but I’ve really missed the routine of making my own because it makes me a) feel like a proper adult and b) I’m an iced latte girl through and through and getting a reliably good one while travelling is harder than you’d think!
Chocolate buttons are my critical weakness and the Dairy Milk orange chocolate buttons have a special place in my heart. NGL, I’m kind of tempted to order this pack of ten ready to greet us at home for our return to the real world.
If you ask me whether I like mayonnaise the answer will always be a resounding ‘no’, but if you ask me if I like Nando’s Perinaise then I’ll enthusiastically answer ‘yes’. I refuse to make it make sense. Life is confusing, not everything has to add up.
My hair has been going through it while away so I can’t wait to give it a bit of love again with my favourite OUAI hair mask on my return. And on the theme of self care, I’ve been dreaming of having a bath since day 1 of our travels.
My Birkenstocks tan (IYKYK) is strong right now, but my feet could do with a bit of a rest. Wearing my UGG Tasman slippers was a cosy little nighttime routine for me back home.
And last but certainly not least, I am counting down the days (literally –Harry’s finding this habit particularly annoying) til our dog Ernie makes his big return to London. Since Christmas our lil man has been living his best life with my parents in Guernsey enjoying morning walks on the beach, tearing up their garden and harassing their westie, Jorgie. I fear that he won’t be so happy to take the ferry back to the mainland, but I’ll be doing everything I can to make him fall in love with his home again.
I’m planning to write a newsletter all about how we prepped our home for its stint as an Airbnb – I’d love to know if you have any questions / want to know anything specific! Ask away in the comments.