Set on a mind-bending 250,000-acre slice of private Patagonian Steppe, Estancia Cerro Guido is both a boutique, conservation-focused hotel and a living time capsule. Founded in 1906 as an answer to high global demand for quality wool, it remains today Chile’s largest working estancia with around 9,000 sheep on the property. Privileged guests stay in one of 20 restored rooms that feature traditional English style with a touch of modern flare, with a shared dining room and bar featuring panoramic views. Daily excursions include horseback riding in Sierra Baguales, trekking in Cerro Guido, fly fishing remote Patagonian rivers, and 4x4 adventures to the border of Chile and Argentina. Most, if not all, routes to and from Estancia Cerro Guido feature stunning views of nearby Torres del Paine National Park—without all of the overcrowding that occurs within the park itself.
Aside from their hospitality and historical significance, Estancia Cerro Guido is well recognized for their conservation efforts: particularly of the Patagonian Puma. The Cerro Guido Conservation Foundation aims to promote a harmonious coexistence between livestock and this keystone species. In other words, they use livestock guardian dogs to manage the sheep as opposed to exterminating depredating pumas. The results have been tremendous and prove that respectful livestock farming may continue in Chile without detriment to the region’s largest predator. Guests are invited to learn more about these efforts during a variety of safaris during their stay.
PROPERTY FACTS
21
Classic Rooms
All Inclusive Private and All Inclusive Shared
Yes, Throughout and Complimentary
Year-round
The Long Run
None
N/A
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STARTING RATES:
starting from $860 USD per person per night (plus tax)
starting from $1,200 USD per person per night (plus tax)
Rates in USD are tax exempt for foreign guests who are not residents of Chile. To apply for a tax exemption guests must pay in USD and show their valid passport and tourist card upon check-in.
All Inclusive Shared:
All Inclusive Private:
LOCATION: Torres del Paine District, Chilean Patagonia
Closest Airport:
Puerto Natales (PNT) is the closest airport and a three-hour direct flight from Santiago (SCL). Then, a scenic one-hour-and-twenty-minute drive is all that remains between travelers and Estancia Cerro Guido.
If guests are arriving from within Chile, the best way of arrival is from Puerto Natales Airport (PNT). There are daily flights from Santiago and Puerto Montt. The alternative way of arriving at Estancia Cerro Guido is from Punta Arenas, however that is around a four-hour drive.
If guests are arriving from Argentina, it is best to arrange a ground transfer with a local DMC, or with Estancia Cerro Guido and the hotel your guests are staying at in Argentina, to do the border crossing at Cerro Castillo. Typically from El Calafate or El Chalten to Cerro Castillo, it is about a four-hour drive. From Cerro Castillo to Estancia Cerro Guido it is about a one-hour drive.
Flights from Puerto Natales have made Cerro Guido especially easy to combine with the lake districts of Chile or Argentina. From Puerto Montt airport (PMC), there are several hidden-gem properties in the Chilean Lake District like Tawa Refugio del Puelo that are within a two-hour drive, or accessible from PMC by helicopter or seaplane. From PNC, there are several daily flights back to Santiago.
From Puerto Montt Airport (PMC), another option of adventure is arranging transportation to our friends at Las Balsas in Villa la Angostura, Bariloche Lake Region, Argentina. This is a unique way of entering Argentina from Chile, without having to go back to Santiago. From Bariloche, guests can fly to several places in Argentina including El Calafate, or Mendoza, then back to Santiago. Lots of interesting ways to combine the two countries nowadays!
Unique Arrival & Departure Options:
WHEN TO VISIT
The most popular time to visit is between October and April, when the entire excursion book is available to guests. But Estancia Cerro Guido is open year-round. While the snowy season (June - August) is obviously cold, the Estancia enjoys very little wind. This is the best time to observe pumas because there are fewer tourists during this time, and the pumas stand out among the snow-capped flatlands for the ultimate photo op.
During the winter, Estancia Cerro Guido could be nicely combined with the Atacama Desert or Iguazu Falls. Both of these destinations are fantastic during that time of year, with fewer crowds and excellent rates.
FOR FAMILIES
Children of all ages are welcome to stay at Estancia Cerro Guido, and kids zero to four stay for free when sharing a bed with their parents. (Keep in mind that if your guests are combining a trip with another property like Patagonia Camp, age restrictions may be in place!)
RECOMMENDED LENGTH OF STAY
Because of Estancia Cerro Guido’s location at the bottom of South America, we always recommend staying long enough to make the journey worth your while. Plus, with 250,000 acres to explore, you’ll want to take your time. Three to four nights at Estancia Cerro Guido is our recommended length of stay. Three night minimum.
UNIQUE SELLING POINTS
Estancia Cerro Guido leads the way in Patagonia for puma conservation. The Cerro Guido Conservation Foundation has successfully implemented a system of utilizing livestock guardian dogs to allow both the sheep and pumas to coexist, without hunting. Guests can get a close look at this program through a variety of excursions during their stay.
Those who don’t want to miss out on iconic Patagonian hiking need not worry: a range of guided hikes from two to ten miles are all within the tour book at Estancia Cerro Guido.
By the same token, those who must step foot within Torres del Paine National Park may easily do so. There are a variety of tours to choose from each day that are located inside of the park, as well as several tours that are on the expansive Cerro Guido land.
Those who want to move a little faster through the landscape can opt for either a horse or an e-MTB. (Of course, we recommend both!) The gauchos at Cerro Guido are the real deal, and don’t forget that there are over 250,000 acres of private land to explore, including “El Cerro Guido,” the iconic mountain top behind the hotel.
Guests can choose from shared excursions or choose to have a private guide for the duration of their stay.
We recommend that guests do the Estancia Cerro Guido cultural tour upon arrival on your first day. This is the best way to learn about the history and conservation efforts of Cerro Guido, making it a more meaningful experience when you’re out doing tours and staying on the property.
The land of Cerro Guido is owned by the Matetic Winery family, an internationally-recognized brand based in Santiago’s Rosario Valley. We encourage guests to spend two nights at the winery–in La Casona–at the beginning or end of their Chilean journey. The experience is reflective of what you find at Cerro Guido, because they preserve around 50,000 acres of land with significant history. It is the perfect “cherry on top” to any journey through Chile.
BEST COMBINED WITH
The fairly new flight to Puerto Natales from Santiago and Puerto Montt has made arriving in southern Chilean Patagonia much easier, compared to the only option in the past being the long haul from Punta Arenas. Now guests have more options of things to do and time to spend exploring this region. Our expert advice is to spend 3-4 nights at Cerro Guido’s cousin-property, Patagonia Camp, followed by 3-4 nights at Estancia Cerro Guido. Patagonia Camp is about one-hour away from PNT, while Estancia Cerro Guido is also about a one-hour drive from Patagonia Camp.
The combination of the two hotels allows guests to experience an important part of Chilean Patagonia at Patagonia Camp, being the forest and Lago Toro from a luxury yurt. It is a completely different scenery over there, and more of a nature-immersion experience. Arriving at Cerro Guido is like entering another world into the vastness of this region, even though you can still see the iconic Torres del Paine National Park. You instantly immerse into the life of a gaucho.
In true CK fashion, we discovered the iconic combination of these two properties by going to check it out for ourselves. The incredibly easy logistics of less than two-hour transfers (one-way) every single day made the journey flow well, and minimized travel exhaustion. The combination of Patagonia Camp and Cerro Guido also made us realize this is the truly authentic way of seeing southern Chilean Patagonia.
You see, everyone is so focused on getting to Torres del Paine National Park, but it has become a bit like Machu Picchu. Yes. Travelers need to go there and to see the iconic towers, especially if you go all the way to Chile from another continent! But it is inevitable that you’ll be a part of a massive tourism crowd. The key is to go early and hike fast to beat the crowd at the towers. Then, spend the rest of your days exploring 250,000 acres of private land only accessible to guests at Estancia Cerro Guido! That is the true luxury of visiting this estancia.
Lastly, the land of Patagonia Camp is privately-owned by the Matetic Winery family, who now also owns the land at Estancia Cerro Guido. They operate as cousins as separate teams, but with the same goal of offering the best possible authentic experience in the region. Similar to many of our partners like Cayuga Collection in Costa Rica, and Andean in Peru, Patagonia Camp sent several of their staff members to Cerro Guido in recent years to train the team and make sure both properties are at adjacent levels of service. This is something that heightens the importance of visiting both lodges when possible. Being able to experience somewhere different in terms of excursions and landscapes, but carry the same friendly service and high quality of food/bev/accomodations makes it something special.