Explora El Chaltén

The food and service here are something special, and they even pack amazing meals for the hikes. Pancho and Joaquin were the guides we could have hoped for, and Mica made the front desk and planning easy. It’s an incredible base for Patagonia, especially if you’re doing the Laguna de Los tres hike. I hope I get to come back someday :)

We were in room 208 on January 26th for our honeymoon, and after we left I realized my Alo pants had disappeared from my suitcase. I’d put them on top of a packing cube while rushing out to go white water rafting, since I was short on clean clothes and wanted to save that outfit for our next stop. When we got back, I noticed housekeeping had been through my things, but my husband had been in a white water rafting accident and that had my attention. I only figured out the pants were missing at our next destination. I still don’t know why anyone would take them. Now my Alo bra is left without its matching pants, which makes me sad whenever I see it. It also caused a small argument with my husband, who couldn’t understand why someone would take the pants. Put your things away and lock them up, even if you’re in a hurry. This shouldn’t happen, but it does.

Pehuen is the finest bartender in Patagonia. I miss him. Explora basically guarantees a great experience, so I highly recommend it.

I was disappointed by the food, especially after hiking. Dinner choices were always limited to meat that didn’t sound promising or a vegan option, and greens didn’t feel like a practical meal after that much physical effort. The beef I got was very dry and hard to chew, while the chicken was bland. If you come expecting well-prepared Argentine beef or Patagonian lamb, you’ll probably be let down. Breakfast was repetitive and had very few choices too. I felt embarrassed to have invited friends to a place in Argentina where they couldn’t cook meat well. The restaurant is basic, and so is the hotel’s finish. For the price, I’d expect heated floors, at least in the bathroom, a bidet, and room ventilation, but none of those are here. It’s an hour’s drive from El Chaltén on a rough road, so eating somewhere else wasn’t an option. If good food matters to you, you may be as disappointed as I was.