
Trekking in Los Glaciares
Trek amongst jagged, snow-capped peaks and electric-blue lakes, venture out into open valleys and private reserves, or visit the icy glaciers that roll from the Southern …
Discover MoreAguas Arriba has knowledgeable and attentive guides that sit down with you each evening to discuss with you how you would like to spend the following day. Equally, it’s the perfect place to do nothing, ignore the confinements of time and just soak up the natural beauty of your surroundings. This is particularly tempting on a cold, wet day with the draw of the large, open fire inviting you to relax in the cosy living room.
There are a number of trails that ascend from the lodge and wind through the forest to various viewpoints dotted around the private reserve from where you can see the majestic peak of Mount Fitz Roy on a clear day. You can also combine a boat trip to either end of the lake with one of the hiking trails.
If you're keen to walk the length of the lake, you may wish to do a six-hour guided hike along the eastern side, passing Aguas Arriba halfway. For those that wish to explore the trails independently, guides can direct you along the best routes.
Lago del Desierto has plenty of quiet bays offering the opportunity to catch rainbow and brown trout, usually weighing one to two kilograms. Due to steep cliffs that descend into the lake's edge, there are areas where the water is deep, so you can let your line sink far. You can hire a guide for the day but we recommend bringing your own equipment.
Over a decade ago, the owners Pata and Ivor, had a dream to build a lodge on the lake, despite facing challenges transporting materials and battling with the elements. In 2012, five years of hard work and construction later, the lodge opened its doors to their first guests and they’ve never looked back since.
37 kilometres north of the mountain town of El Chalten and just five kilometres south of the Chilean border, Aguas Arriba is located in a peaceful, secluded position on the shores of Lago del Desierto. There is no road access to the lodge, so the only way to arrive is by boat or on foot. More adventurous souls can choose to hike in, but you'll need one of the lodge's guides to accompany you as the path is not obvious. Your bags are transported by boat if you choose this route.
The lodge has a simple and rustic design aimed to blend in with the natural landscape inside and out. Its eco-friendly build is made up entirely of wood sourced within Patagonia. The wooden interior and open fire give you the feeling that you're in a cosy chalet overlooking a vast lake. Its huge windows allow light to flood in and give expansive views stretching all the way to Mount Fitz Roy. An outdoor wooden decked terrace is the perfect spot for a glass of wine as you sit and listen to the water lapping the shore and the wind whistling through the trees.
Perhaps the most impressive and enchanting space in the lodge is the main living room. This room is the full height of the lodge and has an enormous floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the lake, letting in an abundance of natural light by day and giving incredible views up to the hanging glacier. By night, the glow and warmth from the open fire and the large comfy sofas centred around a large coffee table make it the perfect place to relax after a day of excursions and get to know the other guests staying.
There is also a small library with comfortable chairs downstairs and a mezzanine balcony upstairs with more sofas and yoga mats.
Three delicious meals are served a day in the dining room, all typical Argentinian dishes using locally-sourced ingredients. Lunch and dinner are three-course affairs including a bottle of Patagonian wine and you are given the choice between a couple of different options. Breakfast is a varied buffet with freshly made bread and cakes, cereals, jams, hams, cheeses and eggs cooked to your liking. The lodge can cater to all dietary requirements with prior warning.
There are six spacious en suite rooms. All have a simple and very natural design with wooden cladding throughout, creating a cosy chalet feel in each.
While the rooms are all doubles or twins, an extra bed can be added to a couple of the rooms, transforming them into triples and making them perfect for families or groups of friends. All rooms are centrally heated and have thick mattresses, plenty of warm covers, comfortable pillows and crisp cotton sheets. Bathrooms have showers as well as bathtubs, and towels, robes and organic toiletries are provided.
Two of the rooms are corner rooms and face south with views of Fitz Roy in the distance, as well as the Vespignani Glacier opposite. One is on the ground floor, tucked away from the main lounge areas, while the other is on the first floor. These are the largest of the rooms (20 to 27 square metres) and offer the best views.
Three rooms face west over the lake with views of Vespignani Glacier. All three are found upstairs on the first floor and are bright and generous spaces (17 to 24 square metres).
The final room faces north towards the southern beech forest surrounding the lodge. An ideal option for families or groups of friends, this room comprises of two separate spaces that are joined together by an internal door. This means that they can both be used as bedrooms, or one space can be used as a living room and the other as a bedroom.
The lodge is open from October to April, the minimum stay is two nights and room prices start from $390 USD per person per night.
The rate includes:
Trek amongst jagged, snow-capped peaks and electric-blue lakes, venture out into open valleys and private reserves, or visit the icy glaciers that roll from the Southern …
Discover MoreFrom an era when gauchos roamed vast landscapes on horseback, the estancias around El Chalten have retained all their rustic charm. Set on acres of land, the views …
Discover MoreOriginally a climbers' mecca, El Chalten is peppered with hotels that are still mainly run by staff dying to help you get out and about in the mountains. Spend your days amongst …
Discover MoreOne of the most famous and awe-inspiring of Argentina's natural wonders. Standing before it's 70-metre high electric blue face and watching 100-tonne blocks of ice crumble and …
Discover MoreWhatever your budget, group size, length of stay, preferred activity or appetite for adventure, we can help.