EOLO - Patagonia's Spirit

For the adventurous there are plenty of good reasons to trek all the way down to the southernmost reaches of South America, but here’s one more: the stunning three-mile-long Perito Moreno glacier. Countless hotels have sprung up in the town of El Calafate to accommodate the stream of foreigners eager to watch house-sized chunks of ice fall off the glacier and splash into the icy blue waters. Well removed from the town’s tourist bustle is EOLO - Patagonia’s Spirit, splendidly isolated on an expansive ranch in the pastoral La Anita valley.

From the outside the stately lodge looks like a traditional Patagonian estancia (with vaguely Tudor echoes), but on the inside EOLO is a cool blend of minimalist sophistication and old-fashioned romance. The suites feature antique vanities and polished wood, yes, but also huge contemporary bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and picture windows facing out over the windswept Patagonian landscape. The rustic-chic décor — think indigenous weavings, plush king beds, and large, spotless glass panes — is done up in a palette of cream, beige, wine-red and dusty green. EOLO’s public spaces are also a study in contrasts. The sleek indoor pool and flat-screen TV room, complete with DVD library, attract as much attention as the collection of fly-fishing photography books and elegant afternoon tea service.

The cozy on-site restaurant serves traditional Argentinian cuisine, a welcome service after a day’s worth of horseback riding, condor-watching, or hiking near the glacier. The point of coming to EOLO in the first place, after all, is access to the great outdoors — though it’s a toss-up whether the greater pleasure is hiking up the mountainside or just watching from your bathtub with a glass of Malbec.