This was our second visit to Challhuaquen Lodge. Every inch of the lodge is beautifully presented. Gustavo, the head guy, greeted us with hot tea (it was raining when we arrived) and made us feel at home. The views, the décor, the roses, the river are stunning. And the food! Chef Facundo presented exciting and unusual meals that were beautiful to eat and beautiful to see. Also, they were appropriately sized so we did not feel overwhelmed by the quantity. This review will not address the fishing, but if you look at the Gallery in the Challuaquen website, you'll get an idea of the quality of the fishery. We were spoiled and we loved every minute of it!
We spent 4 nights with my family and other friend families. The place is incredible, it's right in front of river Futaleufu. It was our first time doing fly fishing and the lodge supported us with a hole bunch of instructors, all the equipment and the boats!! The staff is excellent and always taking care of us in all the details, you feel like having a personal butler. The food was great and the chef prepared different foods that always had to do with the Patagonian flavors. The lobby has wonderful areas with a big fireplace in which you can spend hours in front of it. The rooms are very big and confortable, all of them with views to the river. Wether you like fishing or not, you have to visit this incredible hidden place. Many activities can be done besides fishing. Certainly we shall be back. …
My family and I spent 5 incredible days in Challhuaquen! The staff was amazing! Gustavo and German treated us like royals accommodating our every whim. The food was outstanding, delicious, well prepared and fantastically presented. Every detail was looked after, from the wine, the delectable brownies after fishing and the restful atmosphere where nobody hurries you off. We went with two children (ages 9 and 13) for our first fly-fishing experience and were delighted at how well our vacation turned out. The kids loved the experience and so did I, despite the fact that none of us had ever been fishing. The rooms are ample, with gorgeous views of the river and the mountains. We stayed on one in the bottom floor and we woke up every morning to the lovely sight of roses, the river and the mountains. It felt more like a big comfy house than a hotel, with service that is unparalleled. The lodge was spotless and was kept that way throughout. Additionally, I took walks around the lodge and enjoyed the scenery with horses, famous Argentine cows and breathtaking mountains. The fishing was fantastic, the guides were knowledgeable and clearly expert fly-fisherman themselves. The ones my children got were eager to please them and explain everything they needed to know and both caught big trout and were delighted by their success. Challhuaquen is about 2 hrs. away from the national park "Los Alerces", where you can take a boat ride to the oldest trees I have ever seen and get up close to a glacier. Amazing!!! There are not enough words to express my gratitude to the staff at Challhuquen for a fantastic vacation and a relaxing time had by all. My highest recommendation is not enough!!!…
A year ago my husband took me on my first fly fishing trip to the beautiful area of Esquel. Argentina. He chose the Challhuaquen Lodge, which produced an AMAZING experience for us. Since I have been so negligent in writing a review of our trip which still resonates within me a year later, I am submitting a copy of the letter I wrote to Challhuaquen lodge upon our return; it sums up the natural beauty of the lodge, the fishing and the incredible staff and guest oriented team.~~~~~~ reetings Gustavo in beautiful Challhuaquen! Judson and I are back home and going through our pictures and memories of our most incredible time with you and your awesome group at Challhuaquen. It was magical and I wish we could have stayed longer. The sheer beauty is enough to warrant a trip, but the intimate atmosphere, the ability to sit in a boat and marvel at the mountains and the clear water - and even reel in a fish - well, what can I say - it was perfection! Thank you for all you did to make our trip to your special corner of the world so incredible. I loved evenings with the music, wine and ambiance....I think you have a very special staff at Challhuaquen and we both felt like "family". Hermann of course is quite a character and we could tell loves his work. Thanks for thinking of me and my love of lettuce! (perhaps I am related to one of those Hares we saw running through the fields!) and Veronica - so very outgoing and quite a positive charm for your lodge. And of course so many of the staff that we did not have a chance to meet and chat with- just as important in the smooth running of a lodge. I love flowers and enjoyed the roses so much. Veronica gave me one each day and I will cherish that thought. "Gee" and his wife, Andrea were exceptionally kind and we had a lovely drive together to Bariloche. They stayed with us on the street in Bariloche when the car rental company had not shown up. I think that kindness and care is inherent in all" Argentines" we met and having Gee as a guide for you at Challhuaquen was most important. I will remember all our laughs together; he and Judson's constant banter about "cowboy movies and songs" and his laugh (The Pink Panther character!) I told him I was going to improve my casting so when we return he will be most proud of me! Thank you also, Gustavo for the CD of your beautiful music. I will cherish it along with our memories. I hope we get to return in December so that I may visit our tree. Plus, Hermann has promised me a cooking class! Take care and thank you for all the special touches you and your family at Challhuaquen created to make our trip most memorable!…
Arriving after a full day drive on very dusty Argentinian roads, we were told that the jacuzzi had been cleaned and heated, just for us!! - there were no other guests in the lodge for our two day stay. This probably summed up the experience - everything was thought through with the guest in mind. Neither of us had ever fly fished before, so although we did not arrive til the evening, a guide was found for us for the following day.. The full day of fishing together with the training was excellent - it is difficult to imagine a more perfect spot to learn. The food was prepared according to our preferences by the young chef and served to perfection by the waitress. This lodge totally lived up to and beyond our expectations. Beautiful.
We truly enjoyed our stay at Challhuaquen, thank you so much for making it a wonderful experience. The entire staff was exceptional, and we're grateful for your contribution to our excellent vacations in Argentina! I hope to see you all when I come back over the years.
The lodge was terrific. Spectacular setting, wonderful staff, very restful. Although it is a bit of a hike for two city slickers from Manhattan, New York (who don't fly fish) the setting more than makes up for it as does the attention and service we received during our entire stay. It made for a very special visit which we will remember always! The setting is something out of a movie or National Geographic --- just stunning! Fly fishers must feel like they are in heaven when visiting Challhuaquan. I wish them all the success that they deserve! S&J
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