Awasi Means Home
It was after two redeyes south, followed by a 3-hour layover in Santiago, where we finally boarded our flight to Patagonia- basically to the end of the world. We arrived in Puerto Natales, in the late afternoon on December 26th. Walking off the plane onto the tarmac Chilean Patagonia greeted us with wild winds that nearly blew off my sunglasses- I laughed with giddiness. We were finally here.
“We arrived back at the truck, wet, tired, and starving. We asked Lalo to radio Awasi to get a cheese and meat plate delivered to our villa. His response, “Would you like white or red wine with that.” The plate was waiting there for us when we got home. ”
Eduardo, nicknamed Lalo, picked us up from the airport and would be our personal guide during our stay. The drive in the truck that would be at our disposal our entire time at Awasi gave us 2 hours to get acquainted with Patagonia. The desolate and vast landscape looked nothing like I’d ever seen. As far as you could see- hills covered in late spring wildflowers- scents of blackbush, whites and purples- lupines across a landscape painting made up of green, orange, and golden brown hues. And that wind. We saw our first of many guanacos, a distant relative of the llama although cuter with baby-like hair that rustled in the wind. The drive had constant views of the national park, the reason we came so far.
Awasi was in eyeshot! 14 freestanding rectangle villas completely made of wood barely visible against the landscape all with perfect views of Las Torres. Lalo radio’d the main house to let them know we were arriving. They responded, “Welcome home, Mati and Veronica" (in Quechua.)” In Quechua- AWASI means the home and everything Awasi does revolves around the concept of being at home. So ultimately, anything you want and however you want it can be managed.
Awasi Patagonia is the 2nd hotel under the name- the first hotel was opened in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile both a part of the Relais & Chateaux collection. Awasi Patagonia opened in late 2013 and from my perspective is the best option for luxury accommodation in Patagonia. When I initially began my search for our stay in Patagonia I looked at the Explora, a similar price point as Awasi. Explora’s main draw is the fact it sits in Torres Del Paine National Park, whereas, Awasi sits outside. I thought this was actually an advantage mainly because the weather in the park can be so unpredictable. We experienced completely different weather depending on where we were in the park or outside. This opened up options for other types of excursions when the weather wasn't cooperating in the park. Also, having a private guide and truck at your disposable allowed us to create a completely bespoke itinerary- no stopping for that person that has to get a photo, or spend more time bird watching then we wanted to- you don’t have to at Awasi.
Back at the main house there are rows of slippers for you to slip into instead of trudging around in your hiking boots. Above, a row of wooden hooks full of backpacks and jackets belonging to the guests just returning from their adventures. Feels like home to me! Inside we met the on-site sommelier, knowing us well already, offered us a fantastic wine and welcome snacks. Politely, of course, we devoured the food in between our star-struck stares through the floor to ceiling windows looking out onto Torres Del Paine. Lalo joined us for a drink and got his maps out ready to plan our itinerary for our stay. Together, we built an agenda of glaciers, part of the W Circuit, and hiking with the guanacos.
The villa we stayed in, 6, was just as beautiful as the main house with a mudroom, sitting area, wood fireplace, king-size bed, soaking tub, walk-in shower, and outdoor wood-heated hot tub. From anywhere you stood, you had amazing views of Patagonia. Particularly the soaking tub was useful if it was too windy to fire up the hot tub (We didn't want to be the reason the entire villa went up in flames!).
We pressure tested the mantra of "being at home" after our 8-hour hike to Base de Las Torres. We arrived back at the truck, wet, tired, and starving. We asked Lalo to radio Awasi to get a cheese and meat plate delivered to our villa. He responded, "Would you like white or red wine with that". The plate was waiting there for us when we got home. We proudly feasted (an earned reward for our 8 hour hike experiencing all four seasons) before a warm soak in the tub watching the guanacos in the distance grazing on the swaying grass below clouds moving fast across the Torres.
Food isn’t taken lightly at Awasi- everything is homemade, including the cured meats and the delicious short bread replenished in your villa each day. Breakfast was served as a continental buffet with a mix of healthy choices and indulgences like dulce de leche that I happily scooped liberally into my yogurt and included favorites like a daily detox juice. Dishes can also be made to order like huevos from the house hens. The staff could be as quick or as leisurely as you’d like. I preferred to order off-menu because Awasi cures their own Patagonian salmon- the melt in your mouth kind of smoked salmon that I could not get enough if it!
Since most of our excursions were daylong the kitchen would pack lunches and snacks for us that Lalo carried for us. This way we got to enjoy more in the field and also not feel guilty for over-indulging across 3 meals a day. But you’re more than welcome to return to the main house for a sit-down lunch if you prefer. The packed lunches Lalo carried included sandwiches and warm soup along with some chocolate muffins, dried cranberry cookies, chocolates, and my personal favorite, Awasi trail mix- cashews, walnuts, and dried strawberries, bananas, and kiwi. (He knew after the first day that I liked it so much he carried extra for me on all of our excursions.) Those are the types of touches you can expect at Awasi. Eating warm tomato soup under a tree to escape the hail and wind coming from the top of the Torres will taste better than anything you've even had before.
Dinners were something to look forward to and casually enjoyed, as there’s no dress code at Awasi. A new dinner menu each day consisted of 3 courses- 2 choices for each and an amuse-bouche. The sommelier was there to pour a wine pairing based on what you ordered for each course. Chile has secretly been keeping all of the good wine to themselves so it was fun to try different kinds we had never heard of. We were happily surprised to have access to so much fish and vegetables considering how remote we were. The caliber of the meal is made even more special when you remember that the entire Awasi Patagonia operation is run on generators! Each night, after dinner, we would sit in the lodge near the wood fire with a whiskey looking out on the park waiting for the late summer sun to set after 10:30 pm before returning to our villa. Awasi- and maybe the peacefulness of Patagonia took a piece of my heart.
