Jen visited Torres del Paine national park a few days ago and stayed at the Patagonia Camp. She kindly shared some of her feedback about the guides, the location and the facilities and service at the camp.
How was Torres del Paine?
The Torres del Paine were incredibly beautiful. Being spring, there were all kinds of small fauna running around, a great addition.
How was your guide?
My guide, Jorge, was really excellent. He clearly loves his job and was eager to share his information with us. Our drivers were also really good and careful.
Tell us about Patagonia Camp itself
The yurts and set up of the physical plant were quite beautiful. Our days were really full. Every evening I had an invitation to join others for dinner and our days were quite full. The groups that passed through were predominately American although there were a scattering of Europeans and Brazilians, which made it more interesting.
What could have been better about the camp?
Corrine at the front desk spoke very good English but the other woman did not. When I called twice, it took a while for her to understand what I was ringing about. I don’t know if they advertise English speakers or not. For example, my first request for more conditioner was supposedly passed on to Housekeeping, but did not arrive. I asked again the next day in person and it was taken care of.
One call to the front desk that took some time to explain to receptionist was regarding a leak in the yurt, causing the floor to be wet. Given the damage on the floor, it was obvious that this had been a recurring problem. Although late, they sent someone out to look at it. The leak was underneath the desk, so a minor nusaince however I am surprised it was undetected previously.
The yurt was definately properly cleaned but we were provided shampoo, lotion and conditioner on arrival – rather than 2 bottles of each, I received 3 lotions and 1 conditioner. (They are the same color, so likely a mix up). When I left hand towel to be replaced, it was not. For turn down service one evening, the staff walked in when I was still in the yurt. Rather than return later, there was no turn down that evening.
On my last cleaning, they look the trash bag out of the garbage can, but did not remove it from the yurt. Rather absent mindedly left it on the desk instead.
Is there anything you think people planning a trip to the camp should know?
The starting point to each activity was at least 2 hours away, meaning a minimum of 4 hours driving each day and often times longer. In the case of Lago grey, it was 3 hours due to the road blockage.
The weather is unpredictable and has a big impact on your activities. The Patagonia Camp literature highlights a number of activities (eg kayaking) that just aren’t available. Jorge helped us make good decisions each day and provided opportunities to change itineraries when the weather got really bad.
