The great Outdoors

Arelauquen Golf and Country Club.

If you are looking for a mix of relaxation, romance and action for your coming vacation, Arelauquen Golf and Country Club is the place to go, specially if you have kids.

Arelauquen is conveniently located 15 minutes away from Bariloche's airport. The property is surrounded by the Andes mountains and the Nahuel Huapi National Park; it's close to Cerro Catedral, Bariloche's major skiing center and in front of Lago Gutierrez. No matter where you stand, there are magnificent views and the most breathtaking sunsets over Lake Gutierrez.

Arelauquen has an office that takes care of all your requests. You can either choose to rent a villa or stay at the lodge. Someone will always be waiting for you on the date of your arrival regardless of the time (I've tested this many times!). You can arrange to hire housekeeping service so you can go out and enjoy your activities, perhaps a romantic dinner with your soulmate? and have everything taken care of when you get back to the house.

There are so many activities in Arelauquen, we recommend you to plan ahead! If you like horses, you can go horseback riding up in the mountains, get ready for the views! they are something hard to describe or even picture. You can take riding lessons, polo lessons or watch polo matches. You can take gym classes or lift weights, choose the kind of massage or treatment you would like to receive at the spa, relax in any of their gorgeous common spaces, swim, rest and/or have a drink in their indoor-outdoor heated swimming pool, practice kayaking, windsurfing or fly fishing, go sailing, go mountain hiking, play tennis or golf and you can also arrange to send your children to the Kid's Club where a similar array of activities are organized for them by very experienced staff, including camping!

Arelauquen's Club House has a living room section, a quiet library "for adults only" (very important!), a TV Room, besides the spa, fitness area, pool and coffee-bar. There is a recreation area for children and teenagers that has ping pong tables, pool tables, "metegol" games (soccer), wii and wii games, and toys and games for little children and toddlers.

Keep in mind that you will need a car to move around Arelauquen and to explore Bariloche and its surrounding areas, such as Villa la Angostura. The villas offered for rent look good in the photos but are always better than that in reality.

Taking all this information into account, you can enjoy a two week vacation and go back home knowing that you'd love to come back for more Patagonia magic.

We've experienced Arelauquen and we highly recommend it.
Co-post: Vale and Mich

Photos 2 and 4: Vale's kids with their grandfather.

PDP, Uruguay

Travel & Art

Hotels all over the world are incorporating Art into the hotel experience, and Argentina is no exception. Some time ago I posted about James Turrell and the Hess family collection at Estancia Colomé, in Argentina's North West. Today, I invite you to see another beautiful property: El Casco Art Hotel in Patagonia. A place where art and nature meet design and comfort creating a unique setting for an extraordinary experience.

From the moment you walk into El Casco, you are inspired and stunned by gorgeous views and magnificent paintings from outstanding, Argentinian artists like Soldi, Quniquela, Campos, etc.

One could say El Casco is a classic. Although little remains from the original building, the hotel has been around since the 70's. It was then that an aristocratic German couple built the lake-side property which soon became the IT spot for well-healed South Americans and international travelers with a special love and interest for the far lands of Patagonia.

The hotel was eventually closed for many years, until Ignacio Gutiérrez Zaldívar - art collector and world promoter of Argentinian art, bought the property and turned it into what is undoubtedly, one of South America's most beautiful art hotels. El Casco Art hotel was reborn in 2006.

Each suite homes art works from a different artist bearing his or her name. Surrounding gardens are decorated with sculptures, and public spaces are filled with splendid paintings and books. Even the restaurant, with it's majestic views serves dishes worth a frame!

For more information, get in touch with one of our luxury travel experts.

Easter travel ideas

The Atacama desert in Chile (the driest desert in the world) is one of the most amazing places I've ever been in. It's not only the dramatic landscapes composed of sand dunes, caves, and salt flats, the beautiful towns and people, or the sky full of stars and sunsets which make it so special, but the energy there is truly hard to describe!! To stay: Tierra (photos) and Awasi. In Santiago, the W hotel.


















































The far-flung, romantic Lake District, has some of most stunning views of lakes, mountains and forests in the world!! it's also a paradise for people who love combining good rest and that special contact with nature: rafting, horseback riding, biking, sailing, etc. My favorite thing is to stay in place like Arroyo Verde, on the countryside and enjoy the beauty of nature and home comfort. Here's my second pick for Easter: Patagonia!! I love you!!!

Postcards from Antarctica

Adelie penguins are the most common of all Antarctic penguin species.

They are so cute with their tuxedo shirt front!! you can see them walking or sliding all over the beaches and headlands of the Antarctic coast. Watching them slide to the waters edge and dive into the freezing waters, is such a thrilling experience.