BLACKBOOK THE HANDBOOK F BLACKBOOK THE HANDBOOK F I R S T S T O P S A N T I A G O Where to eat, sleep and drink at the start of a Patagonian journey Chile’s capital is home to the Gran Torre Santiago, the tallest building in Latin America It’s possible to take a flight into Santiago and head south that same day. But because travelling throughout Patagonia involves schlepping across considerable distances by air and road, stretching one’s legs via an overnight in Chile’s capital before venturing on is, we think, advisable. Stay at the centrally located Singular Santiago (thesingular. com), which opened in January 2015. The sister property to The Singular Patagonia (see Getting It Right in Torres del Paine, page 42) has 62 guest rooms and suites decorated with neoclassical French art and a cream-and-grey colour palette. Book a larger Singular Room. Start the day at San Cristóbal Hill, a public park that rises about 300m above Santiago and has nice city views. From here, drive to Vitacura, which was once a strictly residential neighbourhood but has transformed into an upscale hub with good restaurants, shopping and art galleries. For lunch, try the empanadas and a pisco sour at Mestizo (mestizorestaurant.cl), where the outdoor patio overlooks Bicentennial Park, with pink flamingos in a pond. Or, although it’s part of a chain, La Mar (lamarcebicheria. cl), from Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio, is the locals’ spot for ceviche. After lunch, tour some of the half dozen or so contemporaryart galleries in the area, such as Galería Patricia Ready (galeriapready. cl). The Singular is in the Lastarria neighbourhood, which has a pedestrian walkway lined with lively restaurants, many with outdoor seating. For dinner, walk to nearby Bocanáriz (bocanariz. cl), a low-key wine bar known for its list of nearly 400 bottles of Chilean wine. Ask a sommelier to pair a tasting flight with the flavourful short ribs. For those with an early flight the next morning, ask The Singular for breakfast to go. Flaky, buttery pastries and granola can be packaged up for the 20-minute ride to the airport. VIRA VIRA’S ELEGANT ADVENTURE In the Lake District, a new hacienda hotel has a high-end excursion for every type of wanderer Pucón, located on Villarrica Lake in Chile’s Lake District, is a four-hour (at least) drive north from Puerto Montt, or a one-hour charter flight. In the spring and summer, the area is green and lush, with trees growing up the sides of rolling hills. In the winter, skiing takes place atop the region’s handful of volcanoes, including the magnificent conical Villarrica. The town, filled with rustic wooden buildings, has an alpine ambience and an adrenaline-sports culture that attracts tourists, backpackers, snowboarders and skiers, and New Age hippies in droves. Twenty minutes east is Vira Vira (hotelviravira.com), a hacienda hotel that opened in November 2014. Swiss owners Michael and Claudia Paravicini chose The main lodge at Vira Vira overlooks a man-made pond with water flowing into it from the nearby Liucura River Pucón for its activities: horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, sailing, kayaking, boating, snowshoeing, fishing, river rafting, birding and hot springing, to name a few. But they designed their intimate hotel, with its 18 guest rooms, suites, and villas, to be blissfully secluded from the action in town, making Pucón a new Chile luxe stop. PHOTOS FROM TOP: DANIEL AGUILERA/GETTY IMAGES, © VIRA VIRA HACIENDA HOTEL 38 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
To help you make the most of your journey, Conrad Hotels & Resorts has curated a collection of inspired experiences, which reflect a local take on culture, art, food, or adventure. Discover them all at StayInspired.com.
