World's Great Adventure Hotels and Lodges: Aguas Arriba

You won’t find many places anywhere in the world like the Aguas Arriba Lodge in Argentine Patagonia. Nestled on the banks of Lago del Desierto approximately 40 kilometers by dirt road from Argentina’s trekking capitol El Chaltén, and 5 kilometers from the border with Chile, Aguas Arriba is the only human-made structure on the main body of this remote and pristine Patagonian lake (fjord would be a more accurate designation). Hanging glaciers rim the surrounding granite and Mt. Fitz Roy is framed at the lake’s end. 

Aguas Arriba isn’t a typical luxury accommodation. The guest rooms are well appointed and comfortable, but the feel of the place is less about amenities and more akin to staying in an extraordinary second home with good friends. Guests from the five available rooms share common spaces and owners Pato and Ivor help answer questions and plan activities. You won’t find a spa or wireless internet at Aguas Arriba—there is one slow satellite connection—but this is exactly how the lodge is intended to be.

Trout are a big draw to Lago del Desierto. Large, healthy Patagonia trout. Aguas Arriba isn’t a fishing lodge in the same sense as those in Alaska or British Columbia, but fishing is a popular activity for guests, many of whom are Porteños seeking relaxation from the hustle and summer heat of Buenos Aires. Guests can arrange for a couple leisurely hours of fishing in the mornings or afternoons, and Ivor will swing by in his boat for drop-offs and pick-ups (fishing rods and other equipment are provided by the lodge free of charge). 

Trekking is another worthwhile excursion at Aguas Arriba—you can even hike in and out from the lodge with baggage transported by boat. Resident trekking guide Julianna, who has summited Aconcagua, South America’s tallest mountain, left a busier life in Buenos Aires to lead hiking tours in the area. A scenic trail skirts the water’s edge and the stunning Humuel Glacier is accessible via a short scramble from the southern end of the lake. Lago del Desierto also can be a jumping off point for longer treks into this little explored sub-region of Patagonia. 

The lodge is only a few years old and many of its 700 hectares (1,730 acres) of land are still unexplored. Staff members are slowly breaking trails and finding new lookouts, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see kayaks or canoes added to the offerings (given the frigid water temperatures, safety would be an important consideration). Most of all, people come here to find peace and see the land removed from the crowds of El Calafate and Torres del Paine, two of Patagonia’s most visited destinations.

Political strife and a decades-long border dispute between Argentina and Chile spared Lago del Desierto from development. Ivor and Pato and a small handful of other property owners—none of whom have developed their parcels—share this breathtakingly beautiful corner of the world. For those lucky enough to visit, Aguas Arriba offers a glimpse of untouched Patagonia in all its glory.

For more information, visit www.aguasarribalodge.com.