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‘The way we power and manage property is built
into the hotel’s design. With water recycling, our grey water goes
out to a local plant, and then is used to water the pampa around
us. Though we cleared the plant life from the construction site
before we broke ground, we pulled samplings of those plants and
took them to a greenhouse where we cared for them for a year before
starting to replant them.’
The crescent-shaped hotel camouflaged
by the rustic landscape is truly sublime on the inside. Every room
has the same spectacular view of Torres del Paine as the public
areas. The décor, though minimalist, is also at once elegant and
cozy.
Accents include stunning art glass doors in the
bathrooms, fur rugs and Chilean handcrafts juxtaposed with European
bath furnishings and bedding. Factor in the sound of the Antarctic
winds at night and lighting that mimics candlelight. What results
is the perfect ambiance for snuggling and cuddling, particularly
after a long day on the trails or a horseback ride on the pampa
with gauchos from Estancia Cerro Guido.
Purcell adds that Tierra Patagonia’s concept
as an ‘all-inclusive’ resort makes it an ideal choice for travellers
who want to focus less on planning and more on immersing themselves
into this striking location. He also notes Tierra Patagonia’s approach
to the all-inclusive vacation is a far cry from what one would think
of if Club Med came up in conversation. For example, guests need
not worry about getting to the resort from the airport, buying passes
and permits required to get access to the national park and booking
dull or kitschy activities. All meals and artisanal cocktails are
fresh and made to order.
continued below
Adding to the appeal is the fact that staff and
guides are young, energetic and well-informed about the park’s
highlights, hiking trails, wildlife and safety precautions. Though
first impressions of Torres del Paine can be as daunting as they
gorgeous, less athletic types may initially be leery about leaving
the hotel right away and go exploring on their own or feel stranded
in the middle of nowhere. Purcell and his team, in fact, have engineered
ways to quickly get visitors into the heart, soul and spirit of
the place no matter how athletic they are.
‘For travellers who are globally savvy, sophisticated
and enjoy going to museums, we accommodated them with a prolific
library, including books that focus on the plants, animals and indigenous
cultures of the region,’ says Purcell. ‘We not only want to accommodate
adventure travellers, but also people who want to take part in the
great outdoors but are not necessarily 100 per cent outdoorsy. In addition
to rigorous hikes, we offer activities that involve geology, anthropology
and bird-watching. Our guides are experts in these various topics,
so we can match our guides to our guests and get them exploring,
learning about the intricacies of the area and the native cultures.’
Tierra Patagonia offers a prolific menu of hikes
that range from expert level climbs to solid workouts to easy strolls
past the park's many geological highlights, flora and fauna. They
also have customizable half- and full-day hikes that integrate catamaran
boats and van transport for experiences that nicely balance of brisk
walks and relaxed nature discussion.
The treks selected for my group’s
five-day stay brought us face to face with an eagle, as well as
close encounters with Lago Grey’s glaciers, Aonikenk (native Indian)
cave paintings, imposing lenga forests, guanacos (llama family),
foxes, hares and ñandu (a Patagonian ostrich). Sudden changes in
weather added an extra blast of adrenaline-inducing euphoria.
Purcell
is also quick to point out some of the most interesting discoveries
are right outside the front door of the lodge or tucked neatly inside.
‘Guests may want to do their first hike on a trail we’ve set up
right outside the hotel that will take them to the shore of Lake
Sarmiento, where they will find some interesting animals and geological
formations, such as trombolites, which you will only find in a very
few places around the world, including pockets of Australia, Spain
and Mexico,’ he suggests. You also need to allow yourself downtime
inside the hotel so you can lavish in its in-house spa (which uses
Chilean products with indigenous botanicals) and the atmospheric
swimming pool, where you can while away an entire afternoon and
still feel you've successfully found bliss at the ends of the earth. •
Many of the fine restaurant dinner, culinary experiences, winery
visits and the bike and walking tours for this and the Casa Marin
feature were arranged by Santiago Adventures, who have won the hearts
of foodies and other discerning travellers through their custom tours
to Santiago’s mountains, coast and vineyards. Our tours range from
active day tours, in the Santiago region, to specialty tour packages
throughout Chile. They were instrumental in ensuring that we were
exposed to the best food and drink the city and surrounding area had
to offer.
For more information, especially with winery tours, bike expeditions
and connections to companies like Paseos en Bicicleta and Foody Chile,
please visit www.santiagoadventures.com. 
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‘We not only want to accommodate adventure travellers, but also people who want to take part in the great outdoors but are not necessarily 100 per cent outdoorsy. In addition to rigorous hikes, we offer activities that involve geology, anthropology and bird watching. Our guides are experts in these various topics, so we can match our guides to our guests and get them exploring, learning about the intricacies of the area and the native cultures’
Elyse Glickman is US west coast editor of Lucire.
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