The Best Hotels and Resorts in Mexico and South America: The 2021 Gold List
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La Isla, Patagonia, Argentina
If romance is defined as a feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life, then this tiny outpost in deepest, furthest Patagonia is the sentiment incarnate. It’s an epic journey to the private island of South America’s most beloved chef, Francis Mallmann—a plane, car, dirt-track, and boat ride to reach the spit of land where his must-see episode of Netflix’s Chef’s Table was shot. The final leg of the journey across Argentina’s Lago La Plata is a silent drumroll. As the phone connection and Wi-Fi vanishes, freedom begins. There are two cabins; one is for guests and the other often filled with Mallmann’s band of nomadic cooks. Defying the idea that being off the beaten track means being inherently practical, the design decisions were made from an aesthetic and sensory perspective. Bedrooms have enormous beds with freestanding bathtubs looking out towards Chile, while the towels are so big they could dry an entire family. Throughout the cabin the shelves are piled high: in the kitchen with delicate Astier de Villatte china from Paris; in the sitting room with books and encyclopedias; in the hall with tools and tackle; in the store room with huge aging Cheddars and bottles of vintage Krug Champagne. Days are spent on wild beaches, pulling on waders to fish for trout and baking the catch in clay from the lake. A butler in a Fellini-inspired linen jacket serves dinner on wooden trays at the water’s edge: a Catherine wheel of chorizo; deboned and skewered beef ribs; an entire singed pineapple with dulce de leche pancakes. For the bold it’s a run and jump from the pontoon for icy swims. Evenings revolve around the Campari-red sunset, sinking into squishy sofas, reading poetry, playing guitar, and listening to Mallmann sing love songs. True romance. From about $60,400 (sleeps six; available as exclusive-use only); plansouthamerica.com—Alice B-B
Jack Johns
The editors' favorite places, spaces, and ways of getting there.
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler
