Experience Awasi Patagonia

Yvon Chouinard, founder of the Patagonia clothing company, once said “You know where I wanna be right now? Right here. Nowhere else. Not in the future, not in the past.” This is the feeling one experiences at Awasi Patagonia, an incredible 14-villa property located at the southern tip of South America. At Awasi, it isn’t just about being present, it’s about being elated with where you are at present. This feeling comes from no detail being overlooked and the incredible attention Awasi pays to each of their discerning travelers.

Villas from a distance (photo courtesy of Relais & Chateaux)

I’ve spent the better part of 10 years arranging tailor-made journeys to South America, and what each trip has taught me is that we all value different things. At Awasi they understand this, and thus each villa comes with a private guide and vehicle for the duration of your stay. This allows for absolute personalization of your visit, whether it be focused on relaxation and decompressing from work, or creating an active stay that takes you up, down and through the many peaks and valleys dotting this remote region. The one constant at Awasi is the hospitality, something that is fluid throughout your stay. This means that the bartender pairing your wines at dinner is as affable as your guide leading you on the excursions. For my father and me, this made for the stay of a lifetime.

An arrival-day welcome present from Awasi

We had spent a few days hiking in Torres del Paine earlier on the trip, but my father, always one to take the road less traveled, was excited to get to Awasi and see another side to Patagonia. And that’s exactly what we found. It was a Saturday, the weather looked promising and after surveying some maps with our guide we settled on a customized tour that took us into the Sierra Baguales mountain range, complete with 20 million year-old fossils from Lenga Trees, still found surrounding the Awasi property; a massive igneous rock formation (the geological learning curve was quite steep for me here); and a variety of wildlife, from Guanacos to hares. Best of all, we didn’t encounter a single other person during this full day hike. I’d visited Patagonia and Torres del Paine previously, but hiking in this remote setting without trails and other travelers was a dream come true. The accommodations, food and staff alone are worth the visit, but the setting and experiences afforded at Awasi put this place on another level.

Igneous rock formation in the Sierra Baguales

My dad with our private guide

If you are looking for a truly exclusive visit to Patagonia, one that focuses not just on the grandeur of Torres del Paine but also the remote landscapes found in the mountains east of the park, then look no further than Awasi. There simply isn’t a more refined way to experience Patagonia.

The otherworldly Torres del Paine at dawn

Dad looking over the Sierra Baguales Mountain Range

View from a villa (photo courtesy of Relais & Chateaux)

Villa (photo courtesy of Relais & Chateaux)

Villa living room (photo courtesy of Relais & Chateaux)