“Galloping over wild plains with Huasos, spectacular trekking between fjords and glaciers in the Torres del Paine National Park and the supreme comfort of the uber-chic Singular Hotel, these southern wilds of Chile are truly spell-binding”
Boldly perched on the lip of the Fjord of Last Hope, with the Torres del Paine National Park on its doorstep, The Singular Patagonia is, as its name so accurately suggests, one of its kind. A wholly new breed of hotel, this fascinating, state-of-the-art hotel cum museum hybrid, dates back to 1915 when it was a meatpacking plant in the height of Chile’s lamb production. Built on an industrial scale with glass floor-to-ceiling windows and stark symmetrical brickwork, numerous iron relics remain, a nod to the past, now combined with free-standing bath tubs and sumptuous king-size beds in panoramic glass walled bedrooms. Never has sleeping in a converted meat locker been such a pleasurable novelty. The hotel’s uber-cool restaurant and bar serves the most delicious Patagonian king crab, perfectly paired with a crisp Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, and the incredible slow-cooked Chilean Magellanic lamb comes highly recommended, best enjoyed whilst sitting by the roaring fire, looking out over the Canal Señoret with the rugged Andes in the distance.
Whilst only part stylish world-class hotel, the remaining half is converted into a museum, a fitting tribute to the history, not just that of the hotel but of the surrounding region and all of Patagonia as well. The Frigorifico Puerto Bories cold storage plant opened in 1915 when its British owners were the first to bring sheep production to Chile. At its height, the plant employed more than 400 people. A visit to the museum is like stepping back to a time when Huasos roamed with utter freedom through the lush grasslands.
Whilst staying at The Singular, high-octane excursions into both the Torres del Paine National Park and the surrounding region are all mini adventures of their own. The iconic Cordillera del Paine granite rock stands tall in the heart of the park, its base shrouded in snow and beckoning the most active and fearless of hikers. The challenging 12-mile hike to the base of the towers, offers a very privileged photographic view of the three towers that give the park its name. See if you can spot the elusive puma, often camouflaged in the tundra in the deep south of the park, and keep eyes to the sky to watch condors circling the snow-capped mountains above. This is where guanacos traverse the dusty roads, leaving plumes of dust in their wake and icebergs drift in marble-green lakes. To satiate your inner-equine, Huasos will shepherd you on horseback through the pampas; however you set the pace – anything goes, from a gentle trot to an exhilarating gallop. Post action-packed-day, check into the hotel’s Spa, overlooking the fjord’s shoreline. The menu is inspired by the spa’s origin Salut Per Aqua, meaning ‘health through water’, and offers a veritable feast of pampering pleasures.
Hugging the western coast of South America, Chile is a thin sliver of a country, sculpted by wind and fire, with the high Andes as its spine. The diversity of this country mirrors that of the entire continent, from the arid Pacific fringe of the Atacama Desert in the north, the vast iridescent grasslands in the south, to the mysterious megalith Moai on Easter Island, 3,512 kilometres out in the South Pacific Ocean.
Patagonia’s deep valleys and steep cliffs, intriguing wildlife, moody skies and unspoilt cinematic landscapes make it one of the world’s greatest natural wonders. Whether travelling unaccompanied, on honeymoon or on a multi-generation family adventure, The Singular Patagonia, takes you to ‘the end of the world’ in effortless style.
Please contact Charlie Lockwood on 01242 787807or email at clockwood@redsavannah.com for further details on tailor-made holidays to Chile.
