Estancia Cerro Guido

Now, Patagonia, WOW WOW WOW Last week in April and final guests for the season. 1st May they close for the winter season. This meant we had: wind , snow and clear skies. Pick up from Punta Arenas was by van as there were 2 more ppl, but drop off was by Landcruiser with just 2 of us. 4.5hr drive. So if at all possible the airport at Natales would be preferable, however we found out they only have small planes as they don't have fuel storage facilities so can not refuel the bigger planes, but much closer and easier for all. Hotel Estancia Cerro Guido: Fantastic. rooms are brilliant, nicely decorated, beds are great and pillows beautiful, showers are "rain" showers so not huge pressure and sometimes, if all are staying, can be a bit cooler as boiler can only do so much. Centrally heated. They are in a different building than the main dining and bar, so sturdy shoes are recommended as it's all wooden walkways. Food was to die for, we commented the lady chef would make Gordon Ramsey look like an amateur, 3 course meals at lunch and dinner with all you can drink ( except top shelf , which wasn't really a biggy and not something we were worried about. I had 2 Drambiues every night and hubby tried all the local craft beers, plus wine). Service: Well out of this world, Private guide, assigned driver and our horse riding guide. And our own waiter, bartender and drink server. Every day for the Whole day!!! They couldn't do enough for us. Super flexible in our choices and weather forecasts are watched closely. Nice thing we found was there were NO TVs or radios, giving you a total break from the world of news, noise, and advertisements. Sooo good!! They have wifi, so there is contact, but we suggest you leave the laptop and work at home. Horse riding: fantastic, but you will need double layers of trousers and a good windproof jacket and boots, beanie, gloves and scarf. Half chaps are provided and new helmets too. Horses are Solid, well educated in neck reining and fast walking or cantering at speed , whatever you choose. Torres del Paine NP: UNBELIEVABLE Totally stunning with our own vehicle, driver and guide. Walked a few small tracks, clouds just opened enough for us to see the Torres. Enormous vast distances and had a full day excursion. Included was a picnic with food, drinks and wine from Hotel ( including the table cloth, cutlery, plates, the lot) For walkers/ hikers: solid boots, warm layers and wind and waterproof outer is definitely necessary. You can get 4 seasons in a day within 15 minutes, super vast distances so we recommend you pick a small trail like the W walk which will take you 5 days and around the Torres another 5 days. The landscape is very much like our own MacKenzie Country, here in NZ, but 1000 times bigger, so for walkers, suggest you pick your spot otherwise you will walk the same country for weeks. overall, you will come back rejuvenated, with 1 million photos and memories money cannot buy. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Every single

The Estancia Cerro Guido is more than the perfect launching pad for exploring Torres del Paines national park. It is a destination in itself with exceptionally delicious food and wine and ultra comfortable and well tended accomodations.

Our trip to Chile was primarily for fishing and star gazing. But we thought, why not see Torres Del Paine as well. There are several ways to do this but we decided on the estancia because of their proximity to the park, their tours and their all-inclusive approach. This was the right decision for us. The park is really quite small and depending on your level of fitness, three days there would be a lot. We stayed at the Estancia 5 nights. Enjoyed our stay very much, the views from the restaurant, the food, bartender and guided activities really outstanding. But let me add a few insights that might be helpful in choosing this lodge. The Estancia is a working sheep ranch and this way of life and the history of Patagonia is not only something they are proud of but also part of what they want you to experience. So whether it is the vast emptiness of the Estancia, the Gaucho’s way of life or their desire to live side by side with the pumas, there is something here to absorb as well as the grandeur of the national park. Shortly after your arrival at the Estancia they will sit you down to discuss what tours/activities you want to do while you are there. There is lots of information about these tours on their web site. I highly recommend you spend some time studying these options before you arrive. Make a list of questions so you are prepared for mapping out how your time will be spent. You will more than likely spend at least one full day touring the park. Ask them what the weather forecast is, you really want a clear day in the park if you can get it. Hind sight, I wish I had spent one more day in the park than I did, in some fashion. We also did not go fly fishing which was a mistake based on how well people were doing. Ok, maybe the problem was 5 nights was not long enough. Because all of the these activities are weather dependent you may want to consider booking an extra day at the Estancia to increase the likelihood you get at least one or more clear days. When you are on a tour don’t get out of the vehicle without your camera. I missed taking photos of a very stunning condor that was only 20 ft away. You never know what might show up. The one part of the experience I was disappointed in was the room. The old historic manager’s house is where the rooms are located. The rooms are small and decorated as if you were visiting the place when it was built. The room we had did not have enough storage or flat surfaces free of “decoration”. The bathroom had very little space for our “stuff”. We built a table in the bath room using the tray under the pitcher and glasses and the rack for your suitcase to try to solve the problem. The bath tub, which had a raised edge, had been converted to a shower, which we prefer. But any water hitting the back wall would run around this edge and end up on the floor if you did not plug its route with a towel. The room itself could use a dresser rather than a table (think storage) for the freshwater and gla

Our experience was incredible. The food and service by all was 5 star. They made us feel at home. We highly recommend! There doesn’t seem to be “no” in their vocabulary. The sole focus of the staff was to please each and every guest. The rooms were great and the sitting areas comfortable.

We stayed here as part of a larger trip to Chile and Argentina. The windswept vistas, the sun rising over the broad plain, and the sound of the wind in the night all contributed to a sense of being enveloped by this wild place. The hotel itself is lovely, with comfortable rooms and a youthful and attentive staff. Plus, the food was delicious and appealing. I could sit for hours with coffee or wine and just gaze out the window. Overall, out of all the places we stayed over 3 weeks, this is the one that calls me back.

What do you want from a hotel? If the answer is good food and you want it to look nice then this is the place for you. Breakfast, lunch, dinner are all fantastic. The furniture in the rooms looks great with lots of antique pieces creating real character. So why then only two stars? Well. The walls between rooms are do paper thin that you can herd every single word spoken - every word. The mattresses are soft and bowed after years of use. The combination of the two creates for sleepless nights leaving you feeling pretty rubbish the next day . At their heart, hotels are in no small part providers of sleep. This hotel falls woefully short here. In summary: avoid unless you can sleep anywhere on anything and be comfortable.

Visited Estancia Cerro Guido in mid February as part of a group filming the Patagonia Experience invited to participate by my son. Everything about our stay was truly wonderful. The location itself with views of Torres del Paine is outstanding; the very gracious and efficient staff from day one made us feel most welcome and were ready to provide us with 'our heart's desire'. We had numerous activities which were always well organized and a pleasure to participate. So let me point out a few: Puma Conservation with guide Pía Vergara in charge of the program who took us to amazing spots and explained in detail all about the puma and their field work within the estancia while providing binoculars; morning trek to Sarmiento Lake while watching the area's wildlife: guanacos and ñandu, the local ostrich; a great -2-3 hours ride in the steppe with 360º view with Victor, expert horseman in charge of the stables. Great stay and will definitely return.

My wife and I stayed for 3 nights and absolutely loved this place. From the service, food and wine to the views and experiences, expect the best. Thank you for this unique and wonderful Patagonian escape!!

If you are looking for an amazing treat you will not go wrong with the visit to Estancia Cerro Guido. All the staff were so welcoming and the attention to detail was superb together with beautifully prepared food and presentation made you think you were in a Michelin style restaurant in some city rather than in 247,000 hectares in the outback. The activities offered meant anyone could enjoy the stunning scenery to be found nearby whether by vehicle, horseback or trekking. A good indication of the management of the Estancia was that all the staff enjoyed being part of the team. We could not recommend a visit too highly and hope if you visit you enjoy it as much as we did. Howard and Diana Pont ( UK )