Enjoying the luxury of a “Relais et Chateaux” estate in Patagonia

We both had butterflies in our stomachs as we were getting closer to Villa La Angostura: we could still not believe that we were going to spend the next night in one of the nicest hotels in Argentina. We had called the day before and they confirmed they had a room available for us. It was good that we were in low season and right after the Easter weekend otherwise we probably would not have been able to just call the day before. We stopped at the Tourism office and they indicated us where Las Balsas was, right at the end of a side road on the Lago Nahuel Huapi, with a small beach in front of it. As we passed the gate and pulled in front of the entrance, we were so excited and thinking about how grateful we were that our friends had offered us this gift. It was a bright sunny afternoon and the place could not have looked better, with its dark blue wooden walls. With all the windows it had, we could see through the reception and salon area right to the lake. On our left, we could also peak into a side garden filled with beautiful flowers. We could sense that we were going to love this place!

Our stay in an amazing lake view room
At the front desk, Ignacio welcomed us warmly and asked us which language we wanted to be addressed in since he spoke Spanish, English and French fluently. We opted for French which he spoke without an accent as he worked in Paris for six years. He offered us a tea and coffee that we could take on the patio, while enjoying the view of the lake. We sat there for a while in our dusty clothes and motorcycle jacket, just looking at the Cordillera de los Andes right in front of us, just behind the deep blue lake. Life was good and we just enjoyed this sight for a while in silence, with peace and happiness filling our hearts. Money certainly does not make you happy but it does helps when it gives you access to such a beautiful place.

Ignacio showed us the property, intimate with its twelve rooms and very warm as all the interior was made of wood. We were welcome to walk on the beach, in the gardens and spend as much time as we wanted in the Spa, with its heated outside pool and jacuzzi. He then took us to our room, really cozy with big windows facing the lake. He put the music on and left us to relax a little before he would send our luggage up. The room was very comfortable, with blue soothing walls and beautiful flower paintings and the bathroom had lots of wood in it, making it so relaxing too. Once the luggage up, we decided to go to the sunny garden and drink some wine. We just sat there in the sun and talked and talked for a couple of hours, reflecting back on the trip and how far we had gone. It suddenly got a little colder and we went back to the room to get warm clothes. After getting some more layers, we sat on the beach and watched the sunset behind the pier. It was a utterly romantic moment in a unique place called Patagonia.

When we went back to the salon where the staff had lit the fireplace and many candles all around the room, Chad started talking to an American couple that was on vacation in Argentina. They had done other "Relais et Chateaux" in the country with their family and were now enjoying the natural beauty of Patagania for a few days in Las Balsas. We shared our story with them and with the conversation going well, we decided to have dinner together. For us, it was nice to be in such good company but also have a meal that we would remember for a long time. It was amazingly delicious, all of the four courses we had starting with the broccoli pear soup. All the courses we had were simple yet sofisticated with delicious fresh ingredients. We both enjoyed our meat the most, with Chad having veal cheek and Caroline lamb chops. All this paired with a well balanced Malbec Reserva from the Mendoza region. We could not have asked for a better meal and the desert with a glass of Port wine finished the meal in beauty. Since we were not quite ready for bed after that, we watched a movie together on the huge flat screen of the playroom.

Another tough day spent in a sophisticated Spa

We slept like angels in the super soft sheets of our very comfortable bed. This is probably why we slept in, not wanting to leave the comfort of our bed, enjoying the view of the lake and the mountains after we had opened the curtains. If it was not for the feeling that an amazing breakfast was waiting for us, we would probably still be in bed. We took our time and went downstairs a little before 11 am. We were given a table facing a huge window giving directly on the lake. It was like watching a giant TV that was showing you a beautiful landscape while eating. Our waiter showed us the breakfast buffet and told us that in addition we could order anything from the menu: we got an omelet and French toast for Chad while Caroline got a poached egg, a French toast and a Crepe that she promised to share with Chad. While waiting for our order, we went to the buffet wehre we had tha hardest time chosing between all the kinds of cakes, patisseries, dried fruits, yogurt... Already, this looked more like a brunch than a breakfast. We ate so much and everything was again so amazingly rich and delicicous that we needed some activity for the afternoon.

Ignacio had offered the day before to let us do a late check out so that we could enjoy another full day at the estate and benefit from all the amenities they had. This meant that we had our room for the day until 6 pm. What a treat: another day in total luxury! We elected to spend the afternoon in the Spa and after going upstairs to the room and put our swimsuits along with the hotel robe and slippers, we walked towards the Spa. Martin was there to great us and help us navigate through the facilities. We started with the heated pool, which was both outside and inside the building. We were listening to the relaxing music while swimming in the pool with the perfect temperature. After that, we jumped into the jacuzzi where the jets were massaging our back and legs. It felt so good, all this in the natural beauty of the park and forest around the hotel. We finished our intense afternoon in the sauna to sweat off some of the delicious food we had eaten.

We could not believe our watches when we saw that it was getting close to 5 pm. We went back to our room and took a shower before packing our things for the upcoming departure.
Our bikes loaded, we were ready to go. The receptionist offered us a last tea that we could enjoy on the patio and we accepted gratefully: our last moments to enjoy the incredible view of the lake. Our stay here had been perfect, making it all the harder to leave. We could not think of anything that could have made our stay more perfect. It all had been like a dream in the best place in Patagonia and the food, service and lodging we've had were all exceptional. We were so sad to leave, wondering how the time could have gone by so fast here. Some friends and family had teased us and asked if they had accepted us with our simple clothes and dirty motorcycle outfit. Not only had they accepted us but we were also treated like royalty for two days. If you ever go to Patagonia, don't forget to stop at this dream place. Sadly for now, we had to go back to the normal world and look for a more affordable accommodation in Villa La Angostura for the night. It was a little hard to go back to reality.