Estancia Cristina

If you’re going to go to the trouble of embarking on a Patagonian trek, you may as well get deep, deep in it. And if remoteness is the new face of luxury, then Estancia Cristina deserves eight or nine stars. From El Calafate you board a small boat for a three-hour ride across the deep blue Lago Argentino and up into its long glacial fingers, ringed by impossibly tall peaks, and when finally you arrive at the Estancia you’ll feel — with some justification — as though you’ve arrived in another world entirely.

One reason to love South American lodges is that they know better than to try to compete with the views — like the best of them, Estancia Cristina is not without its architectural charms, but it’s restrained, almost utilitarian, its pleasures more a matter of warm, rich textures, simple fabrics and raw woods. Here three simple structures contain the Estancia’s 12 rooms, each one dominated by a wide picture window oriented towards the mountains.

The facilities are first-rate, the cuisine is satisfyingly well-crafted, and everything’s included aside from the booze. It’s important that the comforts be fully in order back at the ranch, as it were, because the main event here is the Patagonian wilderness. Treks include everything from hikes and horseback rides to 4x4 rides to the Upsala glacier — chances are you’ll need a square meal and a stiff drink at the day’s end.

Please note:

Estancia Cristina is a seasonal property and will be closed from April 30th until October 15th.

How to get there

The hotel provides mandatory transportation, charged separately by the hotel. A bus will pick you up from your location of choice in El Calafate at 7:00 am and take you on a 30 min ride to Punta Bandera. You will then board their boat for a scenic ride to the Estancia with arrival at 11:30 am. Upon check out, you will return to the boat at 17:30, and arrive at Puerto Bandera at about 19:00, to then take the bus and return to your location of choice in El Calafate at 20:00. Please see room descriptions for the cost of the transfers. Please contact customerservice@tablethotels.com to arrange transfers from your hotel of choice in El Calafate to the Estancia.

• 12 Rooms
• Style: Contemporary Classic
• Atmosphere: Secluded
• 1 Guest Review

Tweet