The Singular Patagonia

Located on the banks of the “Ultima Esperanza” fjord, the Singular Patagonia is a short taxi or bike ride from the historical town of Puerto Natales. Around an hour and a half’s drive from the Torres del Paine National Park, it's suited to those wanting to be within reach of the park to visit for the day and looking for softer activities or more time to enjoy the hotel's facilities.

Set within a former cold-storage plant “Frigorfíco Puerto Bories”, which was originally built in 1915 and is now a national monument, the hotel offers an insight into the history of the Patagonian region. Somewhere between a hotel and a museum, the owners have tried to maintain the building's historical character with the original furnaces and engines on display and the hotel’s restaurant and bar occupying the old factory floor. Those interested in learning more about the plant's history can take a guided tour of the building and see a great selection of photos from that era.

The hotel has 57 generously-sized rooms all with superb views over the fjords. Set within the modern wing of the hotel, unlike the rest of the hotel, these have been recently built with floor-to-ceiling glass windows to make the most of the views, big bathrooms and victorian reproduction furniture.

One of the main highlights of the hotel is the fantastic restaurant serving traditional Patagonian dishes made with locally sourced ingredients, including staples like centolla (king crab) and Patagonian lamb. Other features include a modern spa with a sauna and heated indoor pool overlooking the fjord. Guests staying on the full-board program can enjoy a 50-minute massage here as part of the program.

Overall, the range of activities available at the Singular is much softer than at other hotels nearer to the Torres del Paine, but include full day excursions into the Park as well as a range of trekking and horse riding excursions to areas closer to Puerto Natales. This is in addition to their signature excursion to visit the Balmaceda Glacier on one of its privately owned boats. We'd recommend the kayaking in the Ultima Esperanza fjord if you get the chance but if you want to be more independent then there are also bikes available to use to cycle into Puerto Natales.