Estancia Cristina

If you’re going to go to the trouble of embarking on a Patagonian trek, you may as well get deep, deep in it. And if remoteness is the new face of luxury, then Estancia Cristina deserves eight or nine stars. From El Calafate you board a small boat for a three-hour ride across the deep blue Lago Argentino and up into its long glacial fingers, ringed by impossibly tall peaks, and when finally you arrive at the Estancia you’ll feel — with some justification — as though you’ve arrived in another world entirely.

One reason to love South American lodges is that they know better than to try to compete with the views — like the best of them, Estancia Cristina is not without its architectural charms, but it’s restrained, almost utilitarian, its pleasures more a matter of warm, rich textures, simple fabrics and raw woods. Here four cottages contain the Estancia’s 20 rooms, each one dominated by a wide picture window oriented towards the mountains.

The facilities are first-rate, the cuisine is satisfyingly well-crafted, and everything’s included aside from the booze. It’s important that the comforts be fully in order back at the ranch, as it were, because the main event here is the Patagonian wilderness. Treks include everything from hikes and horseback rides to 4x4 rides to the Upsala glacier — chances are you’ll need a square meal and a stiff drink at the day’s end.

Please note: Estancia Cristina is a seasonal property open mid-October thru mid-April.

How to get there: The hotel provides transportation, included in the rate: a van departs from your location of choice in El Calafate for a 30-minute ride to Punta Bandera, followed by a scenic boat ride to the Estancia.