Our stay at Patagonia Camp was fantastic. The staff, to a person, were all extremely friendly, helpful, and courteous. The food was delicious and presented with Michelin star care. The accommodations were very comfortable, and of course the setting, and hikes, in the foothills of the Torres del Paine massif, was unforgettable.

Life changing

An exceptional experience, the staff, the food, and the day excursions were all top notch, and the accommodations were extremely comfortable.

This mountain massif has been on my dream list for 40+ years and was very moving to finally see it in person.

The city was much larger than I expected. The people were all very friendly and helpful, though fewer than I imagined spoke English. The faultering Argentine economy shows up in subtle ways all the time, as the infrastructure of the country is stressed or neglected. And the peso is floating near 250% inflation as of just a month or two ago, so we were always aware of the different exchange rates, using pesos or US dollars, and credit card charges.

A big, sprawling, not particularly attractive city.

We were delighted to see Condors up close along the roadside, along with plenty of guanacos. Not much other wildlife to see, though that wasn't the reason for our visit.

The last-minute alteration to our itinerary to include a dinner at Estancia Bonanza was awful. This is apparently a very new excursion option for travelers visiting El Chalten, and the online video of facility is extremely misleading. We waited in El Chalten for an hour for the driver to return. The drive up to the camp took almost another hour over a heavily potholed road and required a midway walk across a rickety cable bridge to continue the journey over more potholed roads on the other side. The dining room was a converted shed building, it appeared, with open stud framing and plywood, with bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling. No menu, the meal started with blood sausage and fried eggs, then a plain lettuce and shredded carrot salad (no dressing), a shared plate piled with lamb ribs, and dessert was a half pear soaked in calafate berries with a dollop of whipped cream. At 9:55 we were abruptly told the driver would be taking the dozen diners, including our four, back to town in five minutes. And so we spent another hour bouncing across the road and clinging to the sides of the swing bridge. And of all the people we met on our two weeks, the gals at the office in El Calafate were the only ones who were rather rude and unhelpful. I would never ever again recommend anyone go there for dinner. Horseback riding, maybe, but not the excursion we had.

Be prepared for the weather to change five times during the day, from sun to rain to calm to wind to hot to cold. Bring $500 or more in USD in twenties and tens to distribute as tips, as these are more valuable, especially in Argentina, to the staff and guides than their local currency. Cabbies in Buenos Aires only take pesos, so go to a cash machine at a bank to exchange. Be prepared to get a large pile of 1,000 peso notes (1,000 Argentine pesos is about $1 USD), as no larger denomination appears to be in regular circulation there. At the time of our visit, the exchange rate for credit cards- Visa and Mastercard- was close to the published Blue rate, which is better than the official bank rate.

I have a much more appreciative understanding of the people we met in Chile and Argentina, who with almost no exceptions were helpful, friendly, and kind.

Take Estancia Bonanza off the options list from El Chalten. The staff were all great. the only direct Swoop employee we met in person was Jeremias in Buenos Aires, and he was very helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. Great guy who made the visit to the city way more meaningful.

We were well prepared for the conditions, the varying clothing needs, and settings.

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