Argentina continued

On Tuesday, October 23, we set out to the National Airoport of Buenos Aires for our flight to Bariloche, the gateway to the mountainous region of Patagonia – one of the most breathtaking areas that I have ever visited (and I have been around mountains for most of my adult life). At the southernmost tip of continental Argentina, the Andean mountain range is truly magnificent, surrounded by forests, lakes and breathtaking glaciers.

In Bariloche, half of the group, including myself, were hosted at the Arelauquen Lodge – a truly welcoming and luxurious ‘boutique-style’ lodge with it’s own new 18-hole golf course, designed by Vicente Fernandez and Carlos Ordone. The course lies on the shore of Lake Gutierrez, and is surrounded by mountains, crystal clear lakes and streams (really, the clearest water I have ever seen!), and some stunning local architecture. The golf season lasts most of the season in Patagonia, although the main sport in this region from June to October is skiing at the nearby ‘Cathedral’ ski resort. The high season for golf begins in December, and lasts through to May – a perfect time for those in the Northern Hemisphere to escape winter and head to the links!!

On Wednesday, the group was hosted at the most magnificent golf course and resort that I have personally ever visited – Llao Llao Hotel and Resort. This hotel is a member of Luxury Hotels of the world, and has the services and surrounding to please the most experienced and discerning traveler. We first glimpsed the hotel from a viewpoint high above, and it truly looked like a majestic castle perched alongside the lake and nestled in the mountains. When we played this course, we had some bracing winds, and the lakes looked like the rolling sea – this only added to the element of ‘man against nature’, and so many times I found myself thinking ‘Wow – I am playing golf in Patagonia’. I was constantly running off to the side to enjoy extra views of the lakes and mountains (and of course to find my golf balls that had gone astray!!).
Following our round of golf, we were treated to some time at the Spa in Llao Llao, again, a first-class experience. Swimming in the indoor/outdoor pool, looking down at the lake and up at the mountains, I found myself again in a state of awe at the surroundings, and felt that I had truly found paradise!